fbaiodias / js-multistream

implementation of multistream spec https://github.com/ipfs/specs/blob/wire/protocol/network/wire.md#multistream

js-multistream

JavaScript implementation of multistream.

Installation

npm

> npm i multistream-select

Setup

Node.js

const multistream = require('multistream-select')

Browser: Browserify, Webpack, other bundlers

The code published to npm that gets loaded on require is in fact a ES5 transpiled version with the right shims added. This means that you can require it and use with your favourite bundler without having to adjust asset management process.

const multistream = require('multistream-select')

Browser: <script> Tag

Loading this module through a script tag will make the Multistream obj available in the global namespace.

<script src="https://npmcdn.com/multistream-select/dist/index.min.js"></script>
<!-- OR -->
<script src="https://npmcdn.com/multistream-select/dist/index.js"></script>

How does it work

Two modes of operation:

• silent - broadcast - For one-way style of communications (for when you need a push like MultiStream
• interactive - select - When you want to suport more than one Protocol in your MultiStream at the same time, where the receiver "selects" the right handler for a specific stream, while the sender "interactively" picks the protocol it wants to use throw req-ack and/or ls for protocol listing

silent - broadcast

The sender doesn't have a confirmation of message reception. Both the dialing endpoint or the caller endpoint can act as the "broadcaster" while the other acts as silent

# Establis a connection through your desired transport
< /multistream-select/0.3.0            # let's speak multistream-select/0.3.0
< /pfs/QmBBQ.../time/0.1.2.            # i'm going to speak time/0.1.2
< 2015-06-07 14:32:11

interactive - select

The caller will send "interactive" messages, expecting for some acknowledgement from the callee, which will "select" the handler for the desired and supported protocol

< /multistream-select/0.3.0  # i speak multistream-select/0.3.0
> /multistream-select/0.3.0  # ok, let's speak multistream-select/0.3.0
> /ipfs-dht/0.2.3            # i want to speak ipfs-dht/0.2.3
< na                         # ipfs-dht/0.2.3 is not available
> /ipfs-dht/0.1.9            # What about ipfs-dht/0.1.9 ?
< /ipfs-dht/0.1.9            # ok let's speak ipfs-dht/0.1.9 -- in a sense acts as an ACK
> <dht-message>
> <dht-message>
> <dht-message>

This mode also packs a ls option, so that the callee can list the protocols it currently supports

Usage/Examples

silent - broadcast

Reference to the examples on the examples folder:

• https://github.com/diasdavid/js-multistream/blob/master/examples/tcp-peer-silent.js
• https://github.com/diasdavid/js-multistream/blob/master/examples/tcp-peer-broadcast.js

interactive - select

Reference to the examples on the examples folder:

• https://github.com/diasdavid/js-multistream/blob/master/examples/tcp-interactive.js
• https://github.com/diasdavid/js-multistream/blob/master/examples/tcp-select.js

Other impl

• go-multistream