Simple IPC for Deno

Actions-Test Actions-Release

The simple and lightweight module that wraps Deno.listen() and Deno.connect() for basic inter-process communication (IPC) in Deno.

Example

Server

const ipc = listenUdsRequest("example_channel", (data:string)=>{
    console.log(data); // => "request-foo"
    return "response-bar";
});

Client

const response = await postUdsRequest<string, string>("example_channel", "request-foo");
console.log(response); // => "response-bar"

This module is for Deno, it's actually socket communication, so it's compatible with processes on a variety of platforms.

Details

With Deno's feature, you can choose between two communication methods.

  • TCP/IP Socket
  • Unix Socket

TCP/IP Socket

As for the general TCP/IP method, this can be done by listening to a port on localhost 127.0.0.1.

Unlike Unix Socket, which is described later, this is a better option because it can be used regardless of platform.

However UnixSocket is often faster in terms of performance.

Unix Socket

Unix method on the other hand, are a bit special, and cannot be used unless Deno's --unstable flag is enabled.

I hope it will be "stable".

Also the platform is only compatible with Linux/Mac, not Windows.

This is not Deno's problem, but because the Rust library "tokio-rs/mio" that Deno uses internally does not support "AF_UNIX" on Windows.

Windows itself supports "AF_UNIX" in 10 insider build 17063, and a pull request has been submitted for support in "mio", so it may be possible to use it in Deno soon.

Reference: https://github.com/tokio-rs/mio/pull/1610

The path of the socket file is temporary directory /tmp/.deno.${channel}.socket.

Also as mentioned above temporary directory C:/Windows/Temp is already defined for Windows in consideration of the possibility that Windows will be supported in the future.

API

This module export the following APIs.

void listenIpRequest(ch, onMessage)

  • ch ... Communication channel port number.
  • onMessage ... Callback when a request is received from a client. Requires response data to the client as a return value.

void listenIpBroadcast(ch, onMessage)

  • ch ... Communication channel port number.
  • onMessage ... Callback when a request is received from a client.

postIpRequest(ch, data)

  • ch ... Communication channel port number.
  • data ... Data to send to the server.
  • return ... Response data from server.

void postIpBroadcast(ch, data)

  • ch ... Communication channel port number.
  • data ... Data to send to the server.

void listenUdsRequest(ch, onMessage)

  • ch ... Communication channel string.
  • onMessage ... Callback when a request is received from a client. Requires response data to the client as a return value.

Notes

  • Windows is not support.

void listenUdsBroadcast(ch, onMessage)

  • ch ... Communication channel string.
  • onMessage ... Callback when a request is received from a client.

Notes

  • Windows is not support.

postUdsRequest(ch, data)

  • ch ... Communication channel string.
  • data ... Data to send to the server.
  • return ... Response data from server.

Notes

  • Windows is not support.

void postUdsBroadcast(ch, data)

  • ch ... Communication channel string.
  • data ... Data to send to the server.

Notes

  • Windows is not support.