API Reference

This gives details on the new top level objects for express.io.

ExpressIO

express = require('express.io')

Properties

• express() - Creates a new app object.
• express.io - The socket.io object.

ExpressApp

app = require('express.io')()

Properties

• app.http() - starts an http server, returns app
• app.https(options) - starts an https server, returns app
• app.io() - starts an io server, returns app

For a complete list of properties, please check the docs.

AppIO

The io object for the entire app. Used for routing and broadcasting to clients.

app.io.broadcast('hey', {this: 'goes to everyone!'})
app.io.room('hipster').broadcast('meh', {this: 'goes to all hipsters'})
app.io.route('special', function(req) {
    // do something with req
})

You can also use the AppIO object to configure your io server. For available options, check here.

app.io.configure(function() {
    app.io.enable('browser client minification');  // send minified client
    app.io.enable('browser client gzip');          // gzip the file
    app.io.set('log level', 1);                    // reduce logging
})

Note: You must call app.io() before using.

Properties

• app.io.broadcast(event, data) - Broadcast the event and data to all clients.
• app.io.room(room).broadcast(event, data) - Broadcast the event and data only to clients in the room.
• app.io.route(event, callback) - Takes a route name and a callback. The callback passes req, which is a SocketRequest object.
• app.io.set(property, value) - Set a global io server property.
• app.io.enable(property) - Enable an io server feature.
• app.io.configure(environment) - Similar to the app.configure method for express.

SocketRequest

This object is passed to the io routes.

app.io.route('hello', function(req) {
    // do something with req
})

Properties

• req.data - The data sent from the client request.
• req.io - The RequestIO object for the request.
• req.headers - headers from the initial web socket request.
• req.session - If you have sessions, then this is the express session object.
• req.handshake - This is the io handshake data.
• req.socket - The actual socket.io socket. Please use req.io instead.

RequestIO

This object comes with the SocketRequest, and it gives you access to the request io.

app.io.route('example', function(req) {
    req.io.emit('event', {this: 'is sent as an event to the client'})
    req.io.broadcast('shout-out', {this: 'goes to every client, except this one'})
    req.io.respond({sends: 'this data back to the client as an acknowledgment'})
    req.io.join('hipster') // joins the hipster room
    req.io.leave('hipster') // leaves the hipster room
    req.io.room('hipster').broadcast('hey', {this: 'goes to every hipster'})
    req.io.route('some-other-route')
     
})

Properties

• req.io.emit(event, data) - Send an event with data to this client.
• req.io.respond(data) - Sends the acknowledgment data back to the client.
• req.io.broadcast(event, data) - Broadcast to all clients except this one.
• req.io.room(room).broadcast(event,data) - Broadcast to the specified room, the event and data. Every client in the room except the one making the request, receives this event.
• req.io.join(room) - Make the client join the specified room.
• req.io.leave(room) - Make the client leave the specified room.
• req.io.route(route) - Forwards the req to the given route.

Reserved Events

These events are reserved and should not be used with app.io.route or req.io.on unless you know what you are doing.

• connect
• connecting
• disconnect
• connect_failed
• error
• message
• reconnect_failed
• reconnect
• reconnecting

View the docs for details on these events.