rethinkdb-websocket-client

RethinkDB JavaScript driver monkey-patched to connect via WebSocket. Works in browser, Electron and Node.JS environments.

What is this?

This library wraps the official JavaScript RethinkDB driver, monkey-patching the node.js net module so that it connects over WebSocket. Other than calling RethinkdbWebsocketClient.connect instead of rethinkdb.connect, the API is identical. And other than the HTTP upgrade request at the start, the protocol over the wire is unchanged.

Since RethinkDB does not accept WebSocket connections, you will have to use a proxy on the server that accepts WebSocket connects and proxies them to the RethinkDB TCP port:

• websockify is a server that listens for incoming WebSocket connections, and blindly forwards traffic in both directions to a specified TCP address. To set up a websockify server at that forwards WebSocket port 8015 to RethinkDB running locally on port 28015, run ./run localhost:8015 localhost:28015
• rethinkdb-websocket-server is a node.js server library that functions similarly to websockify. However, it parses incoming RethinkDB queries from browser clients and runs them through custom validation before forwarding the query to the RethinkDB server.

How do I use this?

This package should be installed with npm. You probably want to use something like webpack or browserify to include it in your web application. In theory it will also run on node.js, but I have not yet tested that.

Here is a simple example of how to use it:

var RethinkdbWebsocketClient = require('rethinkdb-websocket-client');
var r = RethinkdbWebsocketClient.rethinkdb;
 
// In case you want bluebird, which is bundled with the rethinkdb driver
var Promise = RethinkdbWebsocketClient.Promise;
 
var options = {
  host: 'localhost',       // hostname of the websocket server
  port: 8015,              // port number of the websocket server
  path: '/',               // HTTP path to websocket route
  wsProtocols: ['binary'], // sub-protocols for websocket, required for websockify
  wsBinary: 'arraybuffer',  // specify which binary type should be used for WS (optional)
  secure: false,           // set true to use secure TLS websockets
  db: 'test',              // default database, passed to rethinkdb.connect
  simulatedLatencyMs: 100, // wait 100ms before sending each message (optional)
};
 
RethinkdbWebsocketClient.connect(options).then(function(conn) {
  var query = r.table('turtles');
  query.run(conn, function(err, cursor) {
    cursor.toArray(function(err, results) {
      console.log(results);
    });
  });
});

Other environments

React

For React integration, see the react-rethinkdb library.

Node.JS and Electron

To use inside Electron or on the server in Node.JS (as opposed to the browser), use the following path when importing the module:

var RethinkdbWebsocketClient = require('rethinkdb-websocket-client/dist/node');

If you need to route the WebSocket through a proxy server you can provide your own agent via the wsProtocols configuration parameter, e.g.:

var Socks = require('socks');
var options = {
  host: 'localhost',       // hostname of the websocket server
  port: 8015,              // port number of the websocket server
  path: '/',               // HTTP path to websocket route
  wsProtocols: {
    agent: new Socks.Agent({
      proxy: { ipaddress: '127.0.0.1', port: 8080, type: 5 }
    })
  },
  secure: false,           // set true to use secure TLS websockets
  db: 'test',              // default database, passed to rethinkdb.connect
  simulatedLatencyMs: 100, // wait 100ms before sending each message (optional)
};