TCPSocket and node.js: socket write() does not work

i'm trying to develop a library which would allow functionality similar to Titanium.API.log, but would be usable from an actual device, which is not connected to the development environment, but only connected to a network (btw, i'm planning to publish the source). node.js is used as a "listening" server component.
problem:when i open tcpsocket on the device with the WRITE_MODE, or READ_WRITE_MODE, and trying to write to the ip/port - nothing happens on the server side, i.e. the write is not being detected on the server at all. everything else works: connection happens and stays open until closed, "write" from the server to the device's socket also works and correctly triggers "read" event on the device.
question:what needs to be done to make tcpsocket "write" actually write to the socket?

— asked January 2nd 2011 by yury bogomo

node.js
tcpsocket
write

2 Comments

i got it working (the working code is below).
the problem was: you need to wait until connection is opened and the socket is valid. in the following code setInterval function keeps being fired until the socket's isValid returns true:

function tcpClient() 
{ 
    this.socket = null; 
    this.RemoteHost = 'ip address of the node.js server'; 
    this.RemotePort = 'port on that address'; 
    this.timer = -1;

    this.newSocket = function() 
    {
        this.socket = Titanium.Network.createTCPSocket(
        {
            hostName: this.RemoteHost, 
            port: parseInt(this.RemotePort, 10),
            mode: Titanium.Network.READ_WRITE_MODE
        });
    };

    this.isConnected = function() 
    {
        var ret = false;

        if (this.socket != null) 
        {
            ret = this.socket.isValid;
        }

        return ret;
    };
}

function TCPClient_onRead(e) 
{ 
    alert('read: ' + e['data'].text); 
}

function TCPClient_onReadError(e) 
{ 
    alert('Read error...'); 
}

function TCPClient_onWriteError(e) 
{ 
    alert('Write error...'); 
}

function TCPClient_onConnect() 
{ 
    //alert('Waiting for ' + TCPClient.RemoteHost + ':' + TCPClient.RemotePort); 

    if (TCPClient.isConnected()) 
    { 
        clearInterval(TCPClient.timer);

        TCPClient.socket.addEventListener('read', TCPClient_onRead);
        TCPClient.socket.addEventListener('readError', TCPClient_onReadError);        
        TCPClient.socket.addEventListener('writeError', TCPClient_onWriteError);

        //Titanium.API.info('Connected to ' + TCPClient.RemoteHost + ':' + TCPClient.RemotePort);
        //Titanium.API.info('Writing ' + TCPClientBuff + ' to socket...');

        TCPClient.socket.write('test');
    }
}

function Connect() 
{
    try
    {
        TCPClient = new tcpClient();

        if (false)
        {
            TCPClientBuff = 'CIDSetPlusChramCCC' + CID + Level1Delimiter + SoftwareVersion + 'CIDSetMinusChram';

            if (TCPClient.isConnected()) 
            { 
                TCPClient.socket.close(); 
            }
        }
        else
        {
            //TCPClient.RemoteHost = 'localhost';
            TCPClient.RemoteHost = '<node.js ip>';
            TCPClient.RemotePort = 'node.js port';

            TCPClient.newSocket();
            TCPClient.socket.connect();

            TCPClient.timer = setInterval(TCPClient_onConnect, 2000);
        }
    }
    catch (eee)
    {
        alert('err in tcp: ' + $iwa.str(eee));
    }
}

— commented January 9th 2011 by yury bogomo

would be nice if there would be a class for that. some sort of prototype that fires an event if the socket is ready and connected…

— commented March 31st 2011 by Tobias O.

2 Answers

I got the following echo server in node.js and simple app in titanium working just now.

node.js echo server

var net = require('net');
net.createServer(function(socket) {
  socket.addListener('data', function(data) {
    socket.write(data);
  })
}).listen(8001);

Titanium App

<html>
<head>

<script>
  var tcpsock = null;
  window.onload = function () {
    var myWindow = Titanium.UI.getCurrentWindow();
    myWindow.addEventListener(Titanium.CLOSE, function(event) {
      Titanium.App.exit();
    });
  };
  var connect = function () { 
    tcpsock = Titanium.Network.createTCPSocket(document.getElementById('hostname').value, parseInt(document.getElementById('port').value));
    tcpsock.onRead(function(data) { document.getElementById('received').value += data + "\n"; });
    tcpsock.connect();
  };
  var disconnect = function () {
    tcpsock.close();
  };
  var sendit = function () {
    tcpsock.write(document.getElementById('to_send').value);
    document.getElementById('to_send').value = '';
  };
</script>

</head>
<body style="background-color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0;">
  <div style="border-top: 1px solid #404040">
    <div style="color: #fff; padding: 10px;">
      Host: <input type="text" size="25" id="hostname"></input>Port: <input type="text" size="5" id="port"></input><button type="button" onclick="connect();">Connect</button><button type="button" onclick="disconnect();">Disconnect</button><br />
      <textarea rows="03" cols="40" id="to_send"></textarea><button type="button" onclick="sendit();">Send</button><br />
      <textarea rows="10" cols="40" id="received"></textarea><br />
    </div>
  </div>
</body>

</html>

I hope that helps you!

it is fully working now.

i've designed remote debugging system based on tcpsockets available at http://www.cloudebug.com.

as a part of the code provided with this system you will find a working tcpClient class which you can use in your projects freely.

here is the link to the post:

http://developer.appcelerator.com/question/101611/new-debugging-system-for-titanium—cloudebug

or, you can go to http://www.cloudebug.com, register and get the source code for the tcpClient class.

good luck!

yury
— answered January 17th 2011 by yury bogomo
permalink

1 Comment
- http://www.cloudebug.com
  
  — commented January 17th 2011 by yury bogomo
0 Votes

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TCPSocket and node.js: socket write() does not work

2 Answers