1 | # ws: a Node.js WebSocket library
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2 |
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3 | [![Version npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/ws.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/ws)
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4 | [![Linux Build](https://img.shields.io/travis/websockets/ws/master.svg)](https://travis-ci.org/websockets/ws)
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5 | [![Windows Build](https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/github/websockets/ws?branch=master&svg=true)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/lpinca/ws)
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6 | [![Coverage Status](https://img.shields.io/coveralls/websockets/ws/master.svg)](https://coveralls.io/r/websockets/ws?branch=master)
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7 |
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8 | ws is a simple to use, blazing fast, and thoroughly tested WebSocket client
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9 | and server implementation.
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10 |
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11 | Passes the quite extensive Autobahn test suite: [server][server-report],
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12 | [client][client-report].
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13 |
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14 | **Note**: This module does not work in the browser. The client in the docs is a
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15 | reference to a back end with the role of a client in the WebSocket
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16 | communication. Browser clients must use the native
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17 | [`WebSocket`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebSocket) object.
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18 | To make the same code work seamlessly on Node.js and the browser, you can use
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19 | one of the many wrappers available on npm, like
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20 | [isomorphic-ws](https://github.com/heineiuo/isomorphic-ws).
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21 |
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22 | ## Table of Contents
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23 |
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24 | * [Protocol support](#protocol-support)
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25 | * [Installing](#installing)
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26 | + [Opt-in for performance and spec compliance](#opt-in-for-performance-and-spec-compliance)
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27 | * [API docs](#api-docs)
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28 | * [WebSocket compression](#websocket-compression)
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29 | * [Usage examples](#usage-examples)
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30 | + [Sending and receiving text data](#sending-and-receiving-text-data)
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31 | + [Sending binary data](#sending-binary-data)
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32 | + [Simple server](#simple-server)
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33 | + [External HTTP/S server](#external-https-server)
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34 | + [Multiple servers sharing a single HTTP/S server](#multiple-servers-sharing-a-single-https-server)
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35 | + [Server broadcast](#server-broadcast)
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36 | + [echo.websocket.org demo](#echowebsocketorg-demo)
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37 | + [Other examples](#other-examples)
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38 | * [Error handling best practices](#error-handling-best-practices)
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39 | * [FAQ](#faq)
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40 | + [How to get the IP address of the client?](#how-to-get-the-ip-address-of-the-client)
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41 | + [How to detect and close broken connections?](#how-to-detect-and-close-broken-connections)
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42 | + [How to connect via a proxy?](#how-to-connect-via-a-proxy)
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43 | * [Changelog](#changelog)
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44 | * [License](#license)
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45 |
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46 | ## Protocol support
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47 |
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48 | * **HyBi drafts 07-12** (Use the option `protocolVersion: 8`)
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49 | * **HyBi drafts 13-17** (Current default, alternatively option `protocolVersion: 13`)
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50 |
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51 | ## Installing
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52 |
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53 | ```
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54 | npm install --save ws
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55 | ```
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56 |
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57 | ### Opt-in for performance and spec compliance
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58 |
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59 | There are 2 optional modules that can be installed along side with the ws
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60 | module. These modules are binary addons which improve certain operations.
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61 | Prebuilt binaries are available for the most popular platforms so you don't
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62 | necessarily need to have a C++ compiler installed on your machine.
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63 |
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64 | - `npm install --save-optional bufferutil`: Allows to efficiently perform
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65 | operations such as masking and unmasking the data payload of the WebSocket
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66 | frames.
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67 | - `npm install --save-optional utf-8-validate`: Allows to efficiently check
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68 | if a message contains valid UTF-8 as required by the spec.
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69 |
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70 | ## API docs
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71 |
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72 | See [`/doc/ws.md`](./doc/ws.md) for Node.js-like docs for the ws classes.
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73 |
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74 | ## WebSocket compression
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75 |
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76 | ws supports the [permessage-deflate extension][permessage-deflate] which
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77 | enables the client and server to negotiate a compression algorithm and its
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78 | parameters, and then selectively apply it to the data payloads of each
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79 | WebSocket message.
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80 |
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81 | The extension is disabled by default on the server and enabled by default on
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82 | the client. It adds a significant overhead in terms of performance and memory
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83 | consumption so we suggest to enable it only if it is really needed.
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84 |
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85 | Note that Node.js has a variety of issues with high-performance compression,
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86 | where increased concurrency, especially on Linux, can lead to
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87 | [catastrophic memory fragmentation][node-zlib-bug] and slow performance.
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88 | If you intend to use permessage-deflate in production, it is worthwhile to set
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89 | up a test representative of your workload and ensure Node.js/zlib will handle
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90 | it with acceptable performance and memory usage.
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91 |
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92 | Tuning of permessage-deflate can be done via the options defined below. You can
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93 | also use `zlibDeflateOptions` and `zlibInflateOptions`, which is passed directly
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94 | into the creation of [raw deflate/inflate streams][node-zlib-deflaterawdocs].
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95 |
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96 | See [the docs][ws-server-options] for more options.
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97 |
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98 | ```js
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99 | const WebSocket = require('ws');
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100 |
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101 | const wss = new WebSocket.Server({
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102 | port: 8080,
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103 | perMessageDeflate: {
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104 | zlibDeflateOptions: { // See zlib defaults.
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105 | chunkSize: 1024,
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106 | memLevel: 7,
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107 | level: 3,
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108 | },
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109 | zlibInflateOptions: {
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110 | chunkSize: 10 * 1024
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111 | },
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112 | // Other options settable:
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113 | clientNoContextTakeover: true, // Defaults to negotiated value.
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114 | serverNoContextTakeover: true, // Defaults to negotiated value.
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115 | clientMaxWindowBits: 10, // Defaults to negotiated value.
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116 | serverMaxWindowBits: 10, // Defaults to negotiated value.
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117 | // Below options specified as default values.
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118 | concurrencyLimit: 10, // Limits zlib concurrency for perf.
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119 | threshold: 1024, // Size (in bytes) below which messages
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120 | // should not be compressed.
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121 | }
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122 | });
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123 | ```
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124 |
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125 | The client will only use the extension if it is supported and enabled on the
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126 | server. To always disable the extension on the client set the
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127 | `perMessageDeflate` option to `false`.
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128 |
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129 | ```js
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130 | const WebSocket = require('ws');
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131 |
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132 | const ws = new WebSocket('ws://www.host.com/path', {
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133 | perMessageDeflate: false
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134 | });
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135 | ```
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136 |
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137 | ## Usage examples
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138 |
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139 | ### Sending and receiving text data
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140 |
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141 | ```js
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142 | const WebSocket = require('ws');
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143 |
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144 | const ws = new WebSocket('ws://www.host.com/path');
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145 |
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146 | ws.on('open', function open() {
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147 | ws.send('something');
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148 | });
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149 |
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150 | ws.on('message', function incoming(data) {
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151 | console.log(data);
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152 | });
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153 | ```
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154 |
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155 | ### Sending binary data
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156 |
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157 | ```js
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158 | const WebSocket = require('ws');
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159 |
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160 | const ws = new WebSocket('ws://www.host.com/path');
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161 |
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162 | ws.on('open', function open() {
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163 | const array = new Float32Array(5);
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164 |
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165 | for (var i = 0; i < array.length; ++i) {
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166 | array[i] = i / 2;
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167 | }
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168 |
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169 | ws.send(array);
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170 | });
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171 | ```
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172 |
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173 | ### Simple server
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174 |
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175 | ```js
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176 | const WebSocket = require('ws');
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177 |
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178 | const wss = new WebSocket.Server({ port: 8080 });
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179 |
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180 | wss.on('connection', function connection(ws) {
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181 | ws.on('message', function incoming(message) {
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182 | console.log('received: %s', message);
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183 | });
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184 |
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185 | ws.send('something');
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186 | });
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187 | ```
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188 |
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189 | ### External HTTP/S server
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190 |
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191 | ```js
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192 | const fs = require('fs');
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193 | const https = require('https');
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194 | const WebSocket = require('ws');
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195 |
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196 | const server = new https.createServer({
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197 | cert: fs.readFileSync('/path/to/cert.pem'),
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198 | key: fs.readFileSync('/path/to/key.pem')
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199 | });
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200 | const wss = new WebSocket.Server({ server });
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201 |
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202 | wss.on('connection', function connection(ws) {
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203 | ws.on('message', function incoming(message) {
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204 | console.log('received: %s', message);
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205 | });
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206 |
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207 | ws.send('something');
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208 | });
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209 |
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210 | server.listen(8080);
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211 | ```
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212 |
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213 | ### Multiple servers sharing a single HTTP/S server
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214 |
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215 | ```js
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216 | const http = require('http');
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217 | const WebSocket = require('ws');
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218 |
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219 | const server = http.createServer();
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220 | const wss1 = new WebSocket.Server({ noServer: true });
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221 | const wss2 = new WebSocket.Server({ noServer: true });
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222 |
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223 | wss1.on('connection', function connection(ws) {
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224 | // ...
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225 | });
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226 |
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227 | wss2.on('connection', function connection(ws) {
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228 | // ...
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229 | });
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230 |
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231 | server.on('upgrade', function upgrade(request, socket, head) {
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232 | const pathname = url.parse(request.url).pathname;
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233 |
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234 | if (pathname === '/foo') {
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235 | wss1.handleUpgrade(request, socket, head, function done(ws) {
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236 | wss1.emit('connection', ws, request);
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237 | });
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238 | } else if (pathname === '/bar') {
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239 | wss2.handleUpgrade(request, socket, head, function done(ws) {
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240 | wss2.emit('connection', ws, request);
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241 | });
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242 | } else {
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243 | socket.destroy();
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244 | }
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245 | });
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246 |
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247 | server.listen(8080);
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248 | ```
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249 |
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250 | ### Server broadcast
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251 |
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252 | ```js
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253 | const WebSocket = require('ws');
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254 |
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255 | const wss = new WebSocket.Server({ port: 8080 });
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256 |
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257 | // Broadcast to all.
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258 | wss.broadcast = function broadcast(data) {
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259 | wss.clients.forEach(function each(client) {
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260 | if (client.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
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261 | client.send(data);
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262 | }
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263 | });
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264 | };
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265 |
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266 | wss.on('connection', function connection(ws) {
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267 | ws.on('message', function incoming(data) {
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268 | // Broadcast to everyone else.
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269 | wss.clients.forEach(function each(client) {
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270 | if (client !== ws && client.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
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271 | client.send(data);
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272 | }
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273 | });
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274 | });
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275 | });
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276 | ```
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277 |
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278 | ### echo.websocket.org demo
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279 |
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280 | ```js
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281 | const WebSocket = require('ws');
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282 |
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283 | const ws = new WebSocket('wss://echo.websocket.org/', {
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284 | origin: 'https://websocket.org'
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285 | });
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286 |
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287 | ws.on('open', function open() {
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288 | console.log('connected');
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289 | ws.send(Date.now());
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290 | });
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291 |
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292 | ws.on('close', function close() {
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293 | console.log('disconnected');
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294 | });
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295 |
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296 | ws.on('message', function incoming(data) {
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297 | console.log(`Roundtrip time: ${Date.now() - data} ms`);
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298 |
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299 | setTimeout(function timeout() {
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300 | ws.send(Date.now());
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301 | }, 500);
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302 | });
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303 | ```
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304 |
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305 | ### Other examples
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306 |
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307 | For a full example with a browser client communicating with a ws server, see the
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308 | examples folder.
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309 |
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310 | Otherwise, see the test cases.
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311 |
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312 | ## Error handling best practices
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313 |
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314 | ```js
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315 | // If the WebSocket is closed before the following send is attempted
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316 | ws.send('something');
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317 |
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318 | // Errors (both immediate and async write errors) can be detected in an optional
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319 | // callback. The callback is also the only way of being notified that data has
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320 | // actually been sent.
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321 | ws.send('something', function ack(error) {
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322 | // If error is not defined, the send has been completed, otherwise the error
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323 | // object will indicate what failed.
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324 | });
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325 |
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326 | // Immediate errors can also be handled with `try...catch`, but **note** that
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327 | // since sends are inherently asynchronous, socket write failures will *not* be
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328 | // captured when this technique is used.
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329 | try { ws.send('something'); }
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330 | catch (e) { /* handle error */ }
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331 | ```
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332 |
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333 | ## FAQ
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334 |
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335 | ### How to get the IP address of the client?
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336 |
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337 | The remote IP address can be obtained from the raw socket.
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338 |
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339 | ```js
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340 | const WebSocket = require('ws');
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341 |
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342 | const wss = new WebSocket.Server({ port: 8080 });
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343 |
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344 | wss.on('connection', function connection(ws, req) {
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345 | const ip = req.connection.remoteAddress;
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346 | });
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347 | ```
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348 |
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349 | When the server runs behind a proxy like NGINX, the de-facto standard is to use
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350 | the `X-Forwarded-For` header.
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351 |
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352 | ```js
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353 | wss.on('connection', function connection(ws, req) {
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354 | const ip = req.headers['x-forwarded-for'].split(/\s*,\s*/)[0];
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355 | });
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356 | ```
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357 |
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358 | ### How to detect and close broken connections?
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359 |
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360 | Sometimes the link between the server and the client can be interrupted in a
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361 | way that keeps both the server and the client unaware of the broken state of the
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362 | connection (e.g. when pulling the cord).
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363 |
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364 | In these cases ping messages can be used as a means to verify that the remote
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365 | endpoint is still responsive.
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366 |
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367 | ```js
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368 | const WebSocket = require('ws');
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369 |
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370 | const wss = new WebSocket.Server({ port: 8080 });
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371 |
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372 | function noop() {}
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373 |
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374 | function heartbeat() {
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375 | this.isAlive = true;
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376 | }
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377 |
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378 | wss.on('connection', function connection(ws) {
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379 | ws.isAlive = true;
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380 | ws.on('pong', heartbeat);
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381 | });
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382 |
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383 | const interval = setInterval(function ping() {
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384 | wss.clients.forEach(function each(ws) {
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385 | if (ws.isAlive === false) return ws.terminate();
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386 |
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387 | ws.isAlive = false;
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388 | ws.ping(noop);
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389 | });
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390 | }, 30000);
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391 | ```
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392 |
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393 | Pong messages are automatically sent in response to ping messages as required
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394 | by the spec.
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395 |
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396 | ### How to connect via a proxy?
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397 |
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398 | Use a custom `http.Agent` implementation like [https-proxy-agent][] or
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399 | [socks-proxy-agent][].
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400 |
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401 | ## Changelog
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402 |
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403 | We're using the GitHub [releases][changelog] for changelog entries.
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404 |
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405 | ## License
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406 |
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407 | [MIT](LICENSE)
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408 |
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409 | [https-proxy-agent]: https://github.com/TooTallNate/node-https-proxy-agent
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410 | [socks-proxy-agent]: https://github.com/TooTallNate/node-socks-proxy-agent
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411 | [client-report]: http://websockets.github.io/ws/autobahn/clients/
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412 | [server-report]: http://websockets.github.io/ws/autobahn/servers/
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413 | [permessage-deflate]: https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7692
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414 | [changelog]: https://github.com/websockets/ws/releases
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415 | [node-zlib-bug]: https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/8871
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416 | [node-zlib-deflaterawdocs]: https://nodejs.org/api/zlib.html#zlib_zlib_createdeflateraw_options
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417 | [ws-server-options]: https://github.com/websockets/ws/blob/master/doc/ws.md#new-websocketserveroptions-callback
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