@gameroom-js/client

Overview

A simple library for browser-based applications that allows you to rapidly develop stateful, socketed multiplayer games and web applications. For use in conjunction with the server library @gameroom-js/server.

Quickstart

index.ts

import {SocketConnection} from "@gameroom-js/client"

// create a new connection that will be used to communicate with the server via websockets
const connection = new SocketConnection({gameRoomID: "Lobby"});

// register listeners for roomState and gameState updates
connection.on("updateRoomState", (data) => {
  updateUIWithRoomState(data);
}
connection.on("updateGameState", (data) => {
  updateUIWithGameState(data);
}

// send Protocol, Action, and Transfer events
const clientStateButtonHandler = () => {
  connection.sendProtocol('REQUEST_CLIENT_STATE');
}
const nextTurnButtonHandler = () => {
  connection.sendAction('nextTurnPressed');
}
const formSubmitHandler = () => {
  connection.sendTransfer('updateClientName', {name: 'newName'});
}

SocketConnection

The main class of the gameroom-js client library is called SocketConnection. It is instantiated with the SocketConnectionOptions object, the interface for which is defined as follows:

export interface SocketConnectionOptions {
  url: string; // default: window.location.host
  gameRoomID: string; // default: 'Lobby'
  initiateCallback: () => (boolean | Promise<boolean>); // default: () => true
}

SocketConnectionOptions

The url string points to the web address where the server socket is listening. gameroom-js uses Socket.IO for websocket communication, if you would like to read more.

The gameRoomID string is the name of the game room that the client will try to connect to.

The initiateCallback function is an optional piece of logic used to verify from the client's end that the server can consider it fully connected. This callback will be called after the server sends the INITIATE_JOIN Protocol event. initiateCallback should return either true or false, indicating whether the server should continue connecting the client to the desired game room or reject it.

SocketConnection methods

• connect(options: SocketConnectionOptions) Disconnects previous socket and instantiates a new one with options. Re-registers all listeners stored via the on method.
• on() Registers the listener function as an event listener for event. Also stores the listener function for re-registration during a reconnection event.
• disconnect() Disconnects socket by calling the disconnect method on the socket.
• reconnect() Reconnects socket by calling the connect method on the socket.
• sendProtocol(protocolType) Sends a Protocol event.
• sendAction(actionType) Sends an Action event.
• sendTransfer(transferType, payload) Sends a Transfer event.