Are there alternative solutions, such as using IRC with pirc, that are more efficient for creating chat functionalities in PHP?

Using IRC with pirc may be a more efficient solution for creating chat functionalities in PHP as it allows for real-time communication without the need for continuous polling. By leveraging the IRC protocol and pirc library, developers can easily set up a chat system that supports multiple users and channels. This approach can help reduce server load and improve overall performance compared to traditional polling methods.

// Example PHP code using pirc library to connect to an IRC server and join a channel
require_once('pirc/PircBot.php');

class MyBot extends PircBot {
    public function onMessage($channel, $sender, $login, $hostname, $message) {
        // Handle incoming messages
        echo "[$channel] <$sender> $message\n";
    }
}

$bot = new MyBot();
$bot->setVerbose(true);
$bot->connect('irc.server.com');
$bot->joinChannel('#chatroom');