NodeSocket for NodeJS

A network protocol for an execution space amongst application instances.

Server

var nodesocket = require('nodesocket');
var server = nodesocket().createServer(8080, 'localhost');

server.defineFunction('remoteFunction', function() {
	console.log('Executed on the server. Closing...');
	server.close();
});

server.listen();

By default, the server node is configured to be the slave, receiving function calls from the client. Calling defineFunction configures the server instance to call the passed callback when that specific command is received from a client (master).

Client

var nodesocket = require('nodesocket');
var client = nodesocket().createClient(8080, 'localhost');

var remoteFunction = client.linkFunction('remoteFunction');

client.on('verified', function() {
	remoteFunction(function() {
		console.log('Function returned. Closing...');
		client.close();
	});
});

client.connect();

Once the server is setup to receive a function called 'remoteFunction', you can create a 'linked' function by calling the appropriately named linkFunction function. The process of connecting a client a server is slightly different because first the server must be verified as a NodeSocket node (when acting as a master). This is handled via the 'verified' event that is raised. Once verified, the client and server being 'talking' to each other in a language they both understand (being the NodeSocket protocol).

Switching Roles

By default the client's role is the master and the server is the slave, but these roles can be reversed, allowing the server to call functions residing on the client node.

As a client:

client.defineFunction('remoteFunction', function() {
	console.log('Executed on the client.');
});

client.on('verified', function() {
	client.requestSlave(); // Tells server to make a master request
	// Server will call client.requestMaster()
});

client.on('slave', function() {
	console.log('Successfully switched to the slave role');
});

To handle this request on the server:

server.on('verified', function(client) {
	var remoteFunction = client.linkFunction('remoteFunction');
	
	client.on('master', function() {
		// Now the server node is in control of the client node
		remoteFunction(function() {
			console.log('Function returned. Closing...');
			client.close();
			server.close();
		});
	});
});

It's also possible for a server to request to become the master, without the clients initiative:

server.on('verified', function(client) {
	client.on('master', function() {
		console.log('Successfully switched to the master role');
	});

	client.requestMaster();
});

For security reasons it's also possible for a client to disable a remote becoming the master by passing the denyMasterRequests: true option in the nodesocket initializer:

var nodesocket = require('nodesocket');
var client = nodesocket({
	denyMasterRequests: true
}).createClient(8080, 'localhost');

The server is not notified that it's request to become the master has been denied and will receive a "not allowed" response if a function is attempted to be called.

Passing Arguments

Passing arguments to a master function is incredibly simple, with almost no strings attached.

Client example:

var remoteFunction = client.linkFunction('remoteFunction');

client.on('verified', function() {
	remoteFunction(function(result) {
		console.log('Result: ' + result);
	}, 'this is a parameter', 12.5, 10, true);
	/* Will output:
		Result: 125
	*/
});

Server example:

server.defineFunction('remoteFunction', function(s, f, n, b) {
	console.log('The following parameters were passed:');
	for(var arg in arguments) {
		console.log(arg + ': ' + arguments[arg]);
	}
	
	return n * f;
	
	/* Will output:
		0: this is a parameter
		1: 12.5
		2: 10
		3: true
	*/
});

Type Mapping

Depending on the use, there may come a time when a specific datatype will be needed when passed to a linked function. These are taken care of during the initial function link, like so:

var example = client.linkFunction('example', [
	'0': 'string',
	'1': 'uint',
	'2': 'double',
	// etc...
]);

This allows to sending of the right datatype, because otherwise defaults will be used and cached for future calls to the remote function (for performance reasons).

When defining a function, you can do the same with the return datatype:

server.defineFunction('example', function(s, ui, d) {
	return 10.25;
}, 'float');

Data types:

byte, ubyte, short, ushort, int, uint, float, double, string, boolean, undefined, null

Note: The current version of the NodeSocket protocol does not support arrays. If use of arrays are required, you can use apply on the linked function, or another alternative is to serialize/deserialize to and from JSON.

WebSocket Support

A WebSocket capable server can be configured by passing the webSocket: true option in the nodesocket initializer. You can also require that the requested host match the host/IP that the server is bound to with webSocketVerifyHost: true.

var server = nodesocket({
	webSocket: true,
	webSocketVerifyHost: true /* Requires hostname to match 'localhost' */
}).createServer(8080, 'localhost');

The web browser implementation for the NodeSocket protocol can be found here: https://github.com/bryanwayb/nodesocket-browserify

SSL/TLS

Encrypted communication is also possible. To enable, pass secure: true to the nodesocket initializer options, as well as any options that would normally be passed to the NodeJS TLS/SSL API for configuration, as those options are passed through.

For a full list of the available configuration options, check out the NodeJS API documentation for servers and clients.