Build a REST and SSE Event UI with an AI Chat Component

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Quick Overview

Build a REST-driven event interface with SSE and a complete chat request lifecycle. Explain framing, replay, deduplication, cleanup, partial failures, and how to verify AI-generated implementation pieces.

Build a REST and SSE Event UI with an AI Chat Component

Company: DoorDash

Role: Software Engineer

Category: Software Engineering Fundamentals

Difficulty: medium

Interview Round: Onsite

In Next.js, implement REST endpoints and a Server-Sent Events stream, display streamed events in a UI, and add an AI chat component. Describe how you would use an AI coding assistant while retaining responsibility for the specification and correctness. ### Constraints and Clarifying Questions The event schema, persistence, authentication, chat provider, and reconnect policy are not specified. Define a small explicit contract before implementation. Prioritize a functioning REST-to-event-stream path and then the chat component. The chat must have a real request, response, failure, and completion model; a visual input alone is not a completed design. ### What a Strong Answer Covers Endpoint responsibilities, SSE framing, client subscription lifecycle, reconnection and duplicate handling, REST mutation behavior, chat request state, cancellation, and a bounded AI-assisted implementation workflow. ### Follow-up Questions - What happens when the browser reconnects after missing events? - Why should creating an event use a mutation endpoint rather than the SSE subscription itself? - How would you prevent a failed chat request from looking like a completed answer?

Overview: Build a REST-driven event interface with SSE and a complete chat request lifecycle. Explain framing, replay, deduplication, cleanup, partial failures, and how to verify AI-generated implementation pieces.

Read the full DoorDash Software Engineer interview experience this question came from

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DoorDash
Oct 27, 2026
mediumSoftware EngineerOnsiteSoftware Engineering Fundamentals
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In Next.js, implement REST endpoints and a Server-Sent Events stream, display streamed events in a UI, and add an AI chat component. Describe how you would use an AI coding assistant while retaining responsibility for the specification and correctness.

Constraints and Clarifying Questions

The event schema, persistence, authentication, chat provider, and reconnect policy are not specified. Define a small explicit contract before implementation. Prioritize a functioning REST-to-event-stream path and then the chat component. The chat must have a real request, response, failure, and completion model; a visual input alone is not a completed design.

What a Strong Answer Covers Guidance

Endpoint responsibilities, SSE framing, client subscription lifecycle, reconnection and duplicate handling, REST mutation behavior, chat request state, cancellation, and a bounded AI-assisted implementation workflow.

Follow-up Questions Guidance

  • What happens when the browser reconnects after missing events?
  • Why should creating an event use a mutation endpoint rather than the SSE subscription itself?
  • How would you prevent a failed chat request from looking like a completed answer?