ipc-dialog

IPC Request System

Lightweight IPC library for Node.js with bidirectional request-response pattern and optional timeout management.

Features

• Bidirectional request-response (parent ↔ worker)
• Optional adaptive timeout with ping extension
• Fire-and-forget messaging
• TypeScript support

Installation

npm install ipc-dialog

Quick Start

Parent:

import { fork } from 'child_process';
import { IPCWrapper } from 'ipc-dialog';

const worker = new IPCWrapper(fork('./worker.js'));
const result = await worker.request('task', { value: 42 });
console.log(result); // { result: 84 }

Worker:

import { IPCResponder } from 'ipc-dialog';

const responder = new IPCResponder(process);
responder.onRequest('task', async (data) => {
    return { result: data.value * 2 };
});

Worker → Parent:

import { IPCWrapper, IPCResponder } from 'ipc-dialog';

// In worker: send request to parent
const parent = new IPCWrapper(process);
const data = await parent.request('getData', { id: 123 });

// In parent: handle requests from worker
const parentResponder = new IPCResponder(worker);
parentResponder.onRequest('getData', (data) => {
    return { data: [1, 2, 3] };
});

API

IPCWrapper

new IPCWrapper(process: IPCProcess, options?: {
    id?: string;                        // default: 'NOID'
    adaptiveTimeoutMs?: number | null;  // null/Infinity = infinite
    hardTimeoutMs?: number | null;      // null/Infinity = infinite
})

request<T>(type, data?, options?): Promise<T>
send(message)
message(type, data?)
process: T  // Full access to ChildProcess/Worker methods
id: string  // Always set (default: 'NOID')

IPCResponder

new IPCResponder(process: IPCProcess, options?: {
    pingIntervalMs?: number | null;  // null/0 = disable
})

onRequest(type, handler: (data: any) => any)
onMessage(type, handler: (data: any) => any)
offRequest(type)
offMessage(type)
process: T  // The process being listened to

// Tip: Type your data inline: handler: (data: YourInterface) => ...

Types

import type { IPCMessage, IPCProcess, IPCWrapperOptions, IPCResponderOptions } from 'ipc-dialog';

License

ISC © tish