--- title: Developer documentation for `uibuilder.js` description: | `uibuilder.js` is the main file that defines the uibuilder node. It is this that is _required_ into Node-RED when it starts. created: 2019-05-18 18:25:00 updated: 2024-03-23 16:50:25 --- > [!WARNING] > This document needs updating, it is incomplete, especially for UIBUILDER v7. - [Key processing elements](#key-processing-elements) - [Global/Module properties](#globalmodule-properties) - [uibuilder Node Instance properties](#uibuilder-node-instance-properties) - [Functions/Methods](#functionsmethods) - [Admin API's](#admin-apis) ## Key processing elements ### Installation Installing the npm module will ensure that all dependent components are also installed. VueJS and bootstrap-vue (hence also bootstrap) will be installed. ### Global Initialisation Once a uibuilder node is added to any flow, the uibuilder module will be initialised on Node-RED startup. Everything in the `module.exports` function is run at this point. That creates all of the uibuilder "global" variables, functions and API's. The runtime `RED` object is available from this point onwards. The webserver, Socket.IO and other common variables are set up here. Admin and end-user API's are also defined at this level. ### Instance Initialisation Each instance of uibuilder is initialised when flows start. The global function `nodeInstance` is called for each instance. ### Adding staticServer paths for vendor packages Call `uiblib.checkInstalledPackages`. Reads the packageList and masterPackageList, updates the package list file and uib.installedPackages. `tilib.findPackage` is called for each package to check. New packages result in a call to `uiblib.servePackage` which serves up the package folder. REmoved packages result in a call to `uiblib.unservePackage` which removes the folder from ExpressJS. ### Client Connection A client connection is any browser tab that loads and starts the uibuilder client library code. So a single device/user can have many connections. When a client loads and starts processing using `start()`, The client socket.io library handshakes with the server. **Note**: that this process also happens when a client _**re**connects_. The server sends back a message: ```json {"uibuilderCtrl":"client connect","cacheControl":"REPLAY","debug":false,"_socketId":"/nr/uib#9qYqdW79Y7t9gvVtAAAA","from":"server","serverTimestamp":"2019-05-25T19:42:15.979Z","_msgid":"11547966.4e5bc7"} ``` The client then responds with a message: ```json {"uibuilderCtrl":"ready for content","cacheControl":"REPLAY","from":"client","_socketId":"/nr/uib#9qYqdW79Y7t9gvVtAAAA","_msgid":"779d7aca.e2e904"} ``` Both of these messages will appear on port 2 of the uibuilder node. The `msg.from` property indicates which direction the message is coming from/to. The second message may be fed into a caching function/node to trigger a data dump to the client. ### Client Disconnection When a client disconnects for any reason (page reload, tab closed, browser crash, laptop closed, etc.), The _server_ issues a "client disconnect message" to port 2 of the uibuilder node: ```json {"uibuilderCtrl":"client disconnect","reason":"transport close","_socketId":"/nr/uib#qWaT5gj1iMamw9OeAAAD","from":"server","_msgid":"783a6d61.408254"} ``` Note that if a client disconnects then reconnects it will have a different `_socketId` property. ## Global/Module properties ### `uib` {Object} [Module global] * `commonFolder` {String}: Default `./common/`. URL for uib common folder. The common folder contains resources made available to all instances of uibuilder. * `commonFolderName` {String}: Default `/common`. Filing system folder name of the `common` folder for shared resources. * `configFolder` {String}: Default `/.config`. Filing system path to the folder containing any uibuilder global configuration files. e.g. package lists, security and middleware modules. * `configFolderName` {String}: Default `/.config`. Filing system folder name of the config folder. * `deployments` {Object}: Track across redeployments. * `installedPackages` {Object}: Track the vendor packages installed and their paths - updated by uiblib.checkInstalledPackages(). Populated initially from packageList file once the configFolder is known & master list has been copied. Schema: ```json { "": { "url": vendorPath, "path": installFolder, "version": packageVersion, "main": mainEntryScript } } ``` * `instances` {Object}: When nodeGo is run, the node.id is added as a key with the value being the url. Schema: ```json {"": ""} ``` * `masterPackageListFilename` {String}: Default `masterPackageList.json`. File name of the master package list used to check for commonly installed FE libraries. * `masterStaticFeFolder` {String}: Default: `__dirname/../front-end`. Location of the distribution (built) versions of the core master static files. Contains `uibuilderfe.js`, `uibuilderfe.min.js`, `uib-styles.css` and an `images` folder containing some standard uibuilder images and `ico` files. Also a fallback `index.html` which will be served if your custom index.html page cannot be found. Anything in the `masterStaticFeFolder` folder will be served on the `./` URL path. * `masterTemplateFolder` {String}: Default: `__dirname/../templates`. Location of master template folders (containing default front-end code). Holds a set of master templates to use. These are copied over to the instance src folder when needed. * `me` {Object}: Contents of uibuilder's package.json file * `moduleName` {String}: Default `uibuilder`. Module name must match this nodes html file. * `nodeRoot` {String}: Default: `RED.settings.httpNodeRoot`. URL path prefix set in settings.js - prefixes all non-admin URL's. * `nodeVersion` {String}: What version of Node.JS are we running under? Impacts some file processing. * `packageListFilename` {String}: Default `packageList.json`. File name of the installed package list. * `rootFolder` {String}: Root folder (on the server FS) for all uibuilder front-end data. Name of the fs path used to hold custom files & folders for all uib.instances of uibuilder. Default: `/` or `/projects//` if Node-RED projects are in use. * `sioUseMwName` {String}: Default `sioUse.js`. Name of the Socket.IO Use Middleware. * `staticOpts` {Object}: Default empty. Options to pass to static-serve. See [ExpressJS docs for details](https://expressjs.com/en/resources/middleware/serve-static.html). * `version` {String}: Current uibuilder module version (taken from package.json). * `deleteOnDelete` {Object}: Array of instances that have requested their local instance folders be deleted on deploy - see html file oneditdelete, updated by admin api * `customServer` {Object}: Definition for the optional custom ExpressJS server. Not used if the built-in Node-RED ExpressJS server is used. ```js /** Parameters for custom webserver if required. Port is undefined if using Node-RED's webserver. */ customServer: { /** Optional TCP/IP port number. If defined, uibuilder will use its own ExpressJS server/app * If undefined, uibuilder will use the Node-RED user-facing ExpressJS server * @type {undefined|number} If undefined, means that uibuilder is using Node-RED's webserver */ port: undefined, /** @type {string} Node.js server type. ['http', 'https', 'http2'] */ type: 'http', /** @type {undefined|string} uibuilder Host. sub(domain) name or IP Address */ host: undefined, }, ``` * `degitEmitter` {Function}: Event emitter for degit, populated on 1st use. See POST admin API. Only used if an external template is loaded. ### Other properties * `userDir` {String}: The current userDir folder. `RED.settings.userDir`. ## uibuilder Node Instance properties Each instance of the uibuilder node has the following variables. ### From the admin Editor ui * `node.name` {String}: * `node.topic` {String}: * `node.url` {String}: Default `uibuilder`. Used for both the URL of this instance and for the filing system location of instance resources. #### Advanced Settings * `node.fwdInMessages` {Boolean}: Default `false`. Whether input messages will be automatically forwarded to the output. * `node.allowScripts` {Boolean}: Default `false`. Whether uibuilder will allow input messages to send custom JavaScript code to the front-end. This could be a potential security hole unless well controlled. * `node.allowStyles` {Boolean}: Default `false`. Whether uibuilder will allow input messages to send custom CSS style information to the front-end. This could be a potential security hole unless well controlled. * `node.maxAge` {Integer}: Default 0. How long (in seconds) should resources be cached for? It is not advisable to go above 31536000 seconds (nominally a year) since browsers may not treat that consistently. * `node.copyIndex` {Boolean}: Default `true`. Whether uibuilder will automatically copy the template `index.[html|js|css] files to the source folder if they don't exist. * `node.showfolder` {Boolean}: Default `false`. Whether uibuilder will automatically create an index page view showing the source files available. Turning this on in production would be unwise as it would be a security issue. If turned on, resulting URL is `//idx`. ### Locally configured (not set in Editor) * `node.customFolder` {String}: Default `/`. Name of the fs path used to hold custom files & folders for THIS INSTANCE of uibuilder. Files in either the `src` or `dist` sub-folders are also served to the instance's URL. The `dist` folder will only be used if `index.html` exists in that folder. Any resource names that clash with files in the `/common/` or `./nodes/src/` folders will take preference ensuring local control is available. * `node.ioClientsCount` {Integer}: How many Socket clients connected to this instance? * `node.rcvMsgCount` {Integer}: How many msg's received since last reset or redeploy? * `node.ioChannels` {Object}: The channel names used for Socket.IO. Default `{control: 'uiBuilderControl', client: 'uiBuilderClient', server: 'uiBuilder'}`. * `node.ioNamespace` {String}: Default `/`. Make sure each node instance uses a separate Socket.IO namespace. WARNING: This HAS to match the one derived in uibuilderfe.js. ### Internals & Typedef In addition, the `node` object has a number of other useful functions and properties. Note that the file `typedefs.js` may have a more up-to-date version of this. ```javascript /** uibNode * @typedef {object} uibNode Local copy of the node instance config + other info * @property {string} id Unique identifier for this instance * @property {string} type What type of node is this an instance of? (uibuilder) * * @property {string} name Descriptive name, only used by Editor * @property {string} topic msg.topic overrides incoming msg.topic * @property {string} url The url path (and folder path) to be used by this instance * @property {string} oldUrl The PREVIOUS url path (and folder path) after a url rename * @property {boolean} fwdInMessages Forward input msgs to output #1? * @property {boolean} allowScripts Allow scripts to be sent to front-end via msg? WARNING: can be a security issue. * @property {boolean} allowStyles Allow CSS to be sent to the front-end via msg? WARNING: can be a security issue. * @property {boolean} copyIndex DEPRECATED Copy index.(html|js|css) files from templates if they don't exist? * @property {string} templateFolder Folder name for the source of the chosen template * @property {string} extTemplate Degit url reference for an external template (e.g. from GitHub) * @property {boolean} showfolder Provide a folder index web page? * @property {boolean} reload If true, notify all clients to reload on a change to any source file * @property {string} sourceFolder (src or dist) the instance FE code folder to be served by ExpressJS * @property {string} deployedVersion The version of uibuilder when this node was last deployed * @property {boolean} showMsgUib Whether to include msg._uib (clientId/real IP/page name) in std output msgs * * @property {string} customFolder Name of the fs path used to hold custom files & folders for THIS INSTANCE * @property {number} ioClientsCount How many Socket clients connected to this instance? * @property {number} rcvMsgCount How many msg's received since last reset or redeploy? * @property {object} ioChannels The channel names for Socket.IO * @property {string} ioChannels.control SIO Control channel name 'uiBuilderControl' * @property {string} ioChannels.client SIO Client channel name 'uiBuilderClient' * @property {string} ioChannels.server SIO Server channel name 'uiBuilder' * @property {string} ioNamespace Make sure each node instance uses a separate Socket.IO namespace * * @property {Function} send Send a Node-RED msg to an output port * @property {Function=} done Dummy done Function for pre-Node-RED 1.0 servers * @property {Function=} on Event handler * @property {Function=} removeListener Event handling * @property {Function=} context Function that accesses the nodes context vars or the flow/global vars * @property {Function=} emit Function that emits an event * @property {Function=} receive Function that ??? * @property {object=} credentials Optional secured credentials * @property {object=} z Internal * @property {object=} wires Internal. The wires attached to this node instance (uid's) * * @property {boolean} commonStaticLoaded Whether the common static folder has been added * @property {boolean} initCopyDone Has the initial template copy been done? * * @property {Function} warn Output warn level info to node-red console and to editor debug * * @property {object} statusDisplay Settings for the uibuilder node status * @property {string} statusDisplay.text Text to display * @property {string} statusDisplay.fill Fill colour: black, blue, red, yellow, ... * @property {string} statusDisplay.shape dot or ring * * @property {string} title Short descriptive title for the instance * @property {string} descr Longer description for the instance * * @property {Function} sendToFe Ref to sockets.sendToFe */ ``` ## Functions/Methods ### Module level * `log`: Default `RED.log`. Logging functions. * `app`: Default `RED.httpNode`. Reference to the ExpressJS app. * `io`: Reference to the Socket.IO server. * `nodeInstance`: The function passed to the node `registerType` function. ### Instance level * `ioNs`: Reference to Socket.IO namespace used for the instance. * `nodeInputHandler`: Function that handles incoming messages for a uibuilder instance. * `sendToFe`: A reference to sockets.sendToFe which allows a msg to be sent directly to attached clients. ### Utility Classes * [UibWeb (`nodes/web.js`)](web-js.md) - A singleton class that manages the interactions with ExpressJS and so provides all of the web server capabilities. * [UibSockets (`socket.js`)](socket-js.md) - A singleton class that manages the interactions with Socket.IO and so provides all of the communications between Node-RED and front-end code. > [!NOTE] > A singleton class is one that can only be instantiated once. Thanks to the way that Node.js's `require` function works, whenever a singleton class is required, the same instance will always be used. ### Utility Functions * [`nodes/tilib.js`](tilib-js.md) - Contains generic utility functions that do not rely on Node-RED. * [`nodes/uiblib.js`](uiblib-js.md) - Contains utility functions specific to uibuilder that require Node-RED and related classes, objects and data. ## Admin API's TBC