Capacitor TCP Socket Manager

capacitor-tcp-socket-manager is an Android-specific Capacitor plugin that enables seamless TCP socket communication for your hybrid mobile apps. It allows you to create a TCP server, manage client connections, send and receive messages, and handle various socket operations efficiently. Note: This plugin currently supports Android only.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Installation
• API Methods
  • Server-Side Methods
    • startServer
    • stopServer
    • getClientCount
  • Client-Side Methods
    • connectToServer
    • disconnectFromServer
    • sendMessageToServer
• Events
  • receiveMessage
• Example Usage
  • Starting a Server
  • Sending a Message from Client to Server
• Planned Features
• Troubleshooting
• License

Features

• Start and stop a TCP server.
• Connect to a TCP server as a client.
• Send and receive messages.
• Manage multiple client connections.
• Get the local device's IP address.
• Limit maximum client connections (default is 10).
• Disconnect individual or all clients gracefully.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Capacitor 4 or later
• Android Studio installed and configured
• Node.js and npm installed

Steps

1. Install the plugin:

   For Capacitor 7:

   npm install @yesprasoon/capacitor-tcp-socket-manager

   For Capacitor 6:

   npm install @yesprasoon/capacitor-tcp-socket-manager@^1.1.2

2. Sync with Capacitor:

   npx cap sync

3. Rebuild the Android project:

   npx cap open android

API Methods

Server-Side Methods

startServer

Starts a TCP server on the specified port.

Parameters:

• port: (optional, default: 8080) Port number to start the server on.

Returns:

• ipAddress: The IP address of the server.
• port: The port on which the server is running.

Usage:

TcpSocketManager.startServer({ port: 8080 })
  .then(response => console.log(`Server started on ${response.ipAddress}:${response.port}`))
  .catch(error => console.error(error));

stopServer

Stops the TCP server if running.

Usage:

TcpSocketManager.stopServer()
  .then(() => console.log('Server stopped'))
  .catch(error => console.error(error));

getClientCount

Gets the number of currently connected clients.

Returns:

• count: The number of connected clients.

Usage:

TcpSocketManager.getClientCount()
  .then(result => console.log(`Connected clients: ${result.count}`))
  .catch(error => console.error(error));

Client-Side Methods

connectToServer

Connects to a TCP server.

Parameters:

• ipAddress: The IP address of the server.
• port: (optional, default: 8080) Port number of the server.

Usage:

TcpSocketManager.connectToServer({ ipAddress: '192.168.0.100', port: 8080 })
  .then(() => console.log('Connected to server'))
  .catch(error => console.error(error));

disconnectFromServer

Disconnects from the connected server.

Usage:

TcpSocketManager.disconnectFromServer()
  .then(() => console.log('Disconnected from server'))
  .catch(error => console.error(error));

sendMessageToServer

Sends a message to the connected server.

Parameters:

• message: The message string to send.
• ipAddress: (optional): The IP address of the server. If not provided, the stored IP address (from the connection step) will be used.
• port: (optional, default: 8080): Port number of the server. If not provided, the stored port (from the connection step) will be used.

Usage:

TcpSocketManager.sendMessageToServer({ message: 'Hello Server!' })
  .then(() => console.log('Message sent successfully'))
  .catch(error => console.error('Failed to send message:', error));

Events

receiveMessage

Listens for incoming messages on the server.

Usage:

TcpSocketManager.addListener('receiveMessage', data => {
  console.log(`Message received: ${data.message}`);
});

Example Usage

Starting a Server

TcpSocketManager.startServer({ port: 8080 })
  .then(response => console.log(`Server is running on ${response.ipAddress}:${response.port}`))
  .catch(error => console.error(error));

Sending a Message from Client to Server

TcpSocketManager.connectToServer({ ipAddress: '192.168.0.100', port: 8080 })
  .then(() => {
    return TcpSocketManager.sendMessageToServer({ message: 'Hello, Server!' });
  })
  .then(() => console.log('Message sent to server'))
  .catch(error => console.error(error));

Planned Features

We are continuously improving this plugin. Future updates may include:

• TLS/SSL communication for secure connections.
• IP whitelisting for enhanced access control.
• Client authentication mechanisms.
• Message acknowledgment for reliable communication.
• Automatic client reconnection.

All suggestions are welcome!

Troubleshooting

Problem: Server does not start

• Ensure the port is not already in use by another application.
• Check for sufficient permissions in your app's AndroidManifest.xml.

Problem: Unable to connect to the server

• Verify the IP address and port are correct.
• Ensure the device is on the same network as the server.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more details.