messenger

This is a Req/Rep Pub/Sub library for the browser.

Features

Messaging between ...

• components in one window
• a main window and iframes
• iframes in one window

Caveats

The following messaging are not supported:

• cross-origin
• multiple main windows

Installation

via npm:

npm install knowledgecode@messenger --save

This library assumes Promise is available. Running it on unsupported browsers, install a polyfill beforehand.

Usage

ES Modules:

import messenger from './esm/messenger.es.js';

messenger.send('topic', { msg: 'hello' });

Manually:

<script src="./messenger.js"></script>
<script>
  messenger.send('topic', { msg: 'hello' });
</script>

API

send(topic, data[, timeout])

• {string} topic - topic name
• {Object} data - an object to send
• {number} [timeout] - reply timeout [ms]

Send a message (some object) to a topic. This method will return Promise. The 3rd parameter, timeout, is optional. If omit it or set to 0, the Promise will forever wait for reply from the other.

bind(topic, listener)

• {string} topic - topic name
• {Function} listener - a listener to receive messages, or null

Register a listener to wait for message on a topic. The topic name needs to be unique, listeners other than the first cannot bind on the same topic name. To unbind, call the function that this method will return.

publish(topic, data)

• {string} topic - topic name
• {Object} data - an object to publish

Publish a message (some object) to all the subscribers on a topic. This method won't wait for reply from the subscribers, and won't be failed even there is no subscriber there.

subscribe(topic, listener)

• {string} topic - topic name
• {Function} listener - a listener to receive delivered messages

Subscribe message on a topic. To unsubscribe, call the function that this method will return.

Req / Rep

In Req / Rep model, we use send() and bind().

At first, using the bind(), server-side waits for messages from clients, with a topic, "addition":

messenger.bind('addition', data => {
  return new Promise(resolve => {
    resolve(data.x + data.y);
  });
});

The Promise may be omitted:

messenger.bind('addition', data => {
  return data.x + data.y;
});

Client-side sends a message to the topic. If no one is waiting for messages with the topic, the send() will be failed (Promise will be rejected).

messenger.send('addition', {
  x: 2, y: 3
}).then(rep => {
  console.log(rep); // 5
});

Use a returned function to unbind the topic.

const unbind = messenger.bind('addition', data => {
  return data.x + data.y;
});

// Unbind the "addition" topic.
unbind();

Pub / Sub

In Pub / Sub model, we use publish() and subscribe().

Use subscribe() to subscribe to a topic.

messenger.subscribe('input', data => {
  console.log(`The ${data.key} is input!`); // The h key is input!
});

Use publish() to publish a message to a topic (one or more subscribers). Even there is no subscriber, this method won't be failed. Also this method won't receive any replies from subscribers.

messenger.publish('input', {
  key: 'h', shift: false, ctrl: true
});

Use a returned function to unsubscribe from the topic.

const unsubscribe = messenger.subscribe('input', data => {
  console.log(`The ${data.key} is input!`); // The h key is input!
});

// Unsubscribe the "input" topic.
unsubscribe();

Browser support

Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, IE9+

License

MIT