NAME

McBain::WithWebSocket - Load a McBain API as a WebSocket server

SYNOPSIS

        # write your API as you normally would, and create
        # a simple server script:

        #!/usr/bin/perl -w

        use warnings;
        use strict;
        use MyAPI -withWebSocket;

        MyAPI->start(80); # default port is 8080

        # if your API is object oriented
        MyAPI->new(%attrs)->start(80);

DESCRIPTION

McBain::WithWebSocket turns your McBain API into a WebSocket server using Net::WebSocket::Server.

The created server will be a JSON-in JSON-out service. When a client sends a message to the server, it is expected to be a JSON string, which will be converted into a hash-ref and serve as the payload for the API. The payload must have a path key, which holds the complete path of the route/method to invoke (for example, GET:/math/sum). The results from the API will be formatted into JSON as well and sent back to the client.

Note that if an API method does not return a hash-ref, this runner module will automatically turn it into a hash-ref to ensure that conversion into JSON will be possible. The created hash-ref will have one key - holding the method's name, with whatever was returned from the method as its value. For example, if method GET:/divide in topic /math returns an integer (say 7), then the client will get the JSON { "GET:/math/divide": 7 }. To avoid this behavior, make sure your API's methods return hash-refs.

EXAMPLE CLIENT

I haven't succeeded in creating a Perl WebSocket client using any of the related modules on CPAN. Documentation in this area seems to be extremely lacking. On the other hand, I created a very simply client with NodeJS in about two minutes. If you need to test your McBain API running as a WebSocket server, and have a similar problem, take a look at the client.js file in the examples directory of this distribution.

SUPPORTED HTTP METHODS

This runner support all methods natively supported by McBain. That is: GET, PUT, POST, DELETE and OPTIONS.

The OPTIONS method is special. It returns a hash-ref of methods supported by a specific route, including description and parameter definitions, if any. See "OPTIONS-REQUESTS" in McBain for more information.

METHODS EXPORTED TO YOUR API

start( [ $port ] )

Starts the WebSocket server, listening on the supplied port. If $port is not provided, 8080 is used by default.

METHODS REQUIRED BY MCBAIN

init( $target )

Creates and exports the start() method for your API's root package.

generate_env( $req )

Receives the request JSON and creates McBain's standard env hash-ref from it.

generate_res( $env, $res )

Converts the result from an API method in JSON. Read the discussion under "DESCRIPTION" for more info.

handle_exception( $err )

Formats exceptions into JSON.

CONFIGURATION AND ENVIRONMENT

No configuration files are required.

DEPENDENCIES

McBain::WithWebSocket depends on the following CPAN modules:

INCOMPATIBILITIES WITH OTHER MODULES

None reported.

BUGS AND LIMITATIONS

Please report any bugs or feature requests to bug-McBain-WithWebSocket@rt.cpan.org, or through the web interface at http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/ReportBug.html?Queue=McBain-WithWebSocket.

SUPPORT

You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.

        perldoc McBain::WithWebSocket

You can also look for information at:

AUTHOR

Ido Perlmuter <ido@ido50.net>

LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2014, Ido Perlmuter ido@ido50.net.

This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself, either version 5.8.1 or any later version. See perlartistic and perlgpl.

The full text of the license can be found in the LICENSE file included with this module.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

BECAUSE THIS SOFTWARE IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE SOFTWARE, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE SOFTWARE "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION.

IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE SOFTWARE AS PERMITTED BY THE ABOVE LICENCE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE SOFTWARE TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER SOFTWARE), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.