The websocket protocol x-afb-ws-json1
The WebSocket protocol x-afb-ws-json1 is used to communicate between an application and a binder. It allows access to all registered apis of the binder.
This protocol is inspired from the protocol OCPP - SRPC as described for example here: OCPP transport specification - SRPC over WebSocket.
The registration to the IANA is still to be done, see: WebSocket Protocol Registries
This document gives a short description of the protocol x-afb-ws-json1. A more formal description has to be done.
Architecture
The protocol is intended to be symmetric. It allows:
- to CALL a remote procedure that returns a result
- to push and receive EVENT
Messages
Valid messages are made of text frames that are all valid JSON.
Valid messages are:
Calls:
[ 2, ID, PROCN, ARGS ]
[ 2, ID, PROCN, ARGS, TOKEN ]
Replies (3: OK, 4: ERROR):
[ 3, ID, RESP ]
[ 4, ID, RESP ]
Events:
[ 5, EVTN, OBJ ]
Where:
Field | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
ID | string | A string that identifies the call. A reply to that call use the ID of the CALL. |
PROCN | string | The procedure name to call of the form “api/verb” |
ARGS | any | Any argument to pass to the call (see afb_req_json that returns it) |
RESP | any | The response to the call |
TOKEN | string | The authorisation token |
EVTN | string | Name of the event in the form “api/event” |
OBJ | any | The companion object of the event |
Below, an example of exchange:
C->S: [2,"156","hello/ping",null]
S->C: [3,"156",{"response":"Some String","jtype":"afb-reply","request":{"status":"success","info":"Ping Binder Daemon tag=pingSample count=1 query=\"null\""}}]
History
14 November 2019
Removal of token returning. The replies
[ 3, ID, RESP, TOKEN ]
[ 4, ID, RESP, TOKEN ]
are removed from the specification.
Future
Here are the planned extensions:
- add binary messages with cbor data
- add calls with unstructured replies
This could be implemented by extending the current protocol or by allowing the binder to accept either protocol including the new ones.
Javascript implementation
The file AFB.js is a javascript implementation of the protocol.
It can be downloaded here
Here is that code:
/*
* Copyright (C) 2015-2024 IoT.bzh Company
* Author: José Bollo <jose.bollo@iot.bzh>
*
* SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
*/
AFB = function(base, initialtoken){
if (typeof base != "object")
base = { base: base, token: initialtoken };
var initial = {
base: base.base || "api",
token: initialtoken || base.token
|| URLSearchParams(window.location.search).get('access_token')
|| URLSearchParams(window.location.search).get('token')
|| "HELLO",
host: base.host || window.location.host,
scheme: base.scheme || (window.location.protocol == "https:" ? "wss:" : "ws:"),
url: base.url || undefined
};
var urlws = initial.url = initial.url || initial.scheme+"//"+initial.host+"/"+initial.base;
/*********************************************/
/**** ****/
/**** AFB_context ****/
/**** ****/
/*********************************************/
var AFB_context;
{
var UUID = undefined;
var TOKEN = initial.token;
var context = function(token, uuid) {
this.token = token;
this.uuid = uuid;
}
context.prototype = {
get token() {return TOKEN;},
set token(tok) {if(tok) TOKEN=tok;},
get uuid() {return UUID;},
set uuid(id) {if(id) UUID=id;}
};
AFB_context = new context();
}
/*********************************************/
/**** ****/
/**** AFB_websocket ****/
/**** ****/
/*********************************************/
var AFB_websocket;
{
var CALL = 2;
var RETOK = 3;
var RETERR = 4;
var EVENT = 5;
var PROTO1 = "x-afb-ws-json1";
AFB_websocket = function(on_open, on_abort) {
var u = urlws, p = '?';
if (AFB_context.token) {
u = u + '?x-afb-token=' + AFB_context.token;
p = '&';
}
if (AFB_context.uuid)
u = u + p + 'x-afb-uuid=' + AFB_context.uuid;
this.ws = new WebSocket(u, [ PROTO1 ]);
this.url = u;
this.pendings = {};
this.awaitens = {};
this.counter = 0;
this.ws.onopen = onopen.bind(this);
this.ws.onerror = onerror.bind(this);
this.ws.onclose = onclose.bind(this);
this.ws.onmessage = onmessage.bind(this);
this.onopen = on_open;
this.onabort = on_abort;
}
function onerror(event) {
var f = this.onabort;
if (f) {
delete this.onopen;
delete this.onabort;
f(this);
}
this.onerror && this.onerror(this);
}
function onopen(event) {
var f = this.onopen;
delete this.onopen;
delete this.onabort;
f && f(this);
}
function onclose(event) {
var err = {
jtype: 'afb-reply',
request: {
status: 'disconnected',
info: 'server hung up'
}
};
for (var id in this.pendings) {
try { this.pendings[id][1](err); } catch (x) {/*NOTHING*/}
}
this.pendings = {};
this.onclose && this.onclose();
}
function fire(awaitens, name, data) {
var a = awaitens[name];
if (a)
a.forEach(function(handler){handler(data, name);});
var i = name.indexOf("/");
if (i >= 0) {
a = awaitens[name.substring(0,i)];
if (a)
a.forEach(function(handler){handler(data, name);});
}
a = awaitens["*"];
if (a)
a.forEach(function(handler){handler(data, name);});
}
function reply(pendings, id, ans, offset) {
if (id in pendings) {
var p = pendings[id];
delete pendings[id];
try { p[offset](ans); } catch (x) {/*TODO?*/}
}
}
function onmessage(event) {
var obj = JSON.parse(event.data);
var code = obj[0];
var id = obj[1];
var ans = obj[2];
AFB_context.token = obj[3];
switch (code) {
case RETOK:
reply(this.pendings, id, ans, 0);
break;
case RETERR:
reply(this.pendings, id, ans, 1);
break;
case EVENT:
default:
fire(this.awaitens, id, ans);
break;
}
}
function close() {
this.ws.close();
this.ws.onopen =
this.ws.onerror =
this.ws.onclose =
this.ws.onmessage =
this.onopen =
this.onabort = function(){};
}
function call(method, request, callid) {
return new Promise((function(resolve, reject){
var id, arr;
if (callid) {
id = String(callid);
if (id in this.pendings)
throw new Error("pending callid("+id+") exists");
} else {
do {
id = String(this.counter = 4095 & (this.counter + 1));
} while (id in this.pendings);
}
this.pendings[id] = [ resolve, reject ];
arr = [CALL, id, method, request ];
if (AFB_context.token) arr.push(AFB_context.token);
this.ws.send(JSON.stringify(arr));
}).bind(this));
}
function onevent(name, handler) {
var id = name;
var list = this.awaitens[id] || (this.awaitens[id] = []);
list.push(handler);
}
AFB_websocket.prototype = {
close: close,
call: call,
onevent: onevent
};
}
/*********************************************/
/**** ****/
/**** EXPORTS ****/
/**** ****/
/*********************************************/
return {
context: AFB_context,
ws: AFB_websocket
};
};