simple-websocket

What is simple-websocket?

The simple-websocket npm package provides a straightforward API for creating WebSocket clients and servers. It is designed to be easy to use and lightweight, making it suitable for simple WebSocket communication tasks.

What are simple-websocket's main functionalities?

Creating a WebSocket Client

This code demonstrates how to create a WebSocket client using the simple-websocket package. It connects to a WebSocket server, sends a message upon connection, and listens for incoming messages and connection closure.

const SimpleWebSocket = require('simple-websocket');
const ws = new SimpleWebSocket('ws://example.com');

ws.on('connect', () => {
  console.log('Connected to server');
  ws.send('Hello, server!');
});

ws.on('data', (data) => {
  console.log('Received message:', data);
});

ws.on('close', () => {
  console.log('Connection closed');
});

Creating a WebSocket Server

This code demonstrates how to create a WebSocket server using the simple-websocket package. The server listens for new client connections, sends a welcome message to each client, and handles incoming messages and disconnections.

const SimpleWebSocketServer = require('simple-websocket/server');
const server = new SimpleWebSocketServer({ port: 3000 });

server.on('connection', (socket) => {
  console.log('New client connected');
  socket.send('Welcome, client!');

  socket.on('data', (data) => {
    console.log('Received message from client:', data);
  });

  socket.on('close', () => {
    console.log('Client disconnected');
  });
});

Other packages similar to simple-websocket

ws

The ws package is a popular WebSocket implementation for Node.js. It provides a comprehensive set of features for both WebSocket clients and servers, including support for extensions and subprotocols. Compared to simple-websocket, ws offers more advanced features and greater flexibility, but it may be more complex to use for simple tasks.

socket.io

Socket.io is a library that enables real-time, bidirectional, and event-based communication between web clients and servers. It abstracts WebSocket communication and provides fallbacks for older browsers. While it offers more features and robustness compared to simple-websocket, it is also heavier and more complex.

README

simple-websocket

Simple, EventEmitter API for WebSockets

features

• super simple API for working with WebSockets in the browser
• supports text and binary data
• node.js duplex stream interface

This module works in the browser with browserify, and it's used by WebTorrent!

install

npm install simple-websocket

usage

var SimpleWebsocket = require('simple-websocket')

var socket = new SimpleWebsocket('ws://echo.websocket.org')
socket.on('connect', function () {
  // socket is connected!
  socket.send('sup!')
})

socket.on('data', function (data) {
  console.log('got message: ' + data)
})

Note: If you're NOT using browserify, then use the standalone simplewebsocket.min.js file included in this repo. This exports a SimpleWebsocket function on the window.

api

socket = new SimpleWebsocket([opts])

Create a new WebSocket connection.

If opts is specified, then it will be passed through to the underlying superclass, stream.Duplex.

socket.send(data)

Send text/binary data to the WebSocket server. data can be any of several types: String, Buffer (see buffer), TypedArrayView (Uint8Array, etc.), ArrayBuffer, or Blob (in browsers that support it).

Note: If this method is called before the socket.on('connect') event has fired, then data will be buffered.

socket.destroy([onclose])

Destroy and cleanup this websocket connection.

If the optional onclose paramter is passed, then it will be registered as a listener on the 'close' event.

Socket.WEBSOCKET_SUPPORT

Detect WebSocket support in the javascript environment.

var Socket = require('simple-websocket')

if (Socket.WEBSOCKET_SUPPORT) {
  // websocket support!
} else {
  // fallback
}

events

socket.on('connect', function () {})

Fired when the websocket connection is ready to use.

socket.on('data', function (data) {})

Received a message from the websocket server.

data will be either a String or a Buffer/Uint8Array (see buffer). JSON strings will be parsed and the resulting Object emitted.

socket.on('close', function () {})

Called when the websocket connection has closed.

socket.on('error', function (err) {})

err is an Error object.

Fired when a fatal error occurs.

real-world applications that use simple-websocket

• StudyNotes - Helping students learn faster and better
• instant.io - Secure, anonymous, streaming file transfer
• lxjs-chat - Omegle chat clone
• [ your application here - send a PR ]

license

MIT. Copyright (c) Feross Aboukhadijeh.