node-orleans

A node.js client for Codename Orleans.

Installation

Install the module with npm:

$ npm install node-orleans

Ensure the following are in the same directory as your node.js application:

• Orleans.dll
• Microsoft.WindowsAzure.StorageClient.dll
• Your grain interfaces.dll
• ClientConfiguration.xml

Initialising the client

First you need to initialise the client:

var orleans = require('node-orleans');
var client = orleans({
	grainDll : "MyGrainInterfaces.dll", 	// the assembly containing your grain interfaces
	grainNamespace : "MyGrainInterfaces"	// the namespace of your grain interfaces
});

client.init(function(err){
	if (err) console.log(err);
	// we are ready to go!
});

Calling a grain

The client has a call function which allows you to send a message to a grain:

client.call(grainType, grainId, grainMethod, arguments, callback)

• grainType The name of your grain interface without the I (i.e. 'Grain1')
• grainId The ID of a grain. This can be either an integer, string (which will be parsed as a guid) or an array with an extended primary key [integer/string, string]
• grainMethod The name of the method you want to call
• arguments An array of arguments
• callback A function which will be called back on completion of the request. For grains with no return value (i.e. they return Task) this should be function(err), otherwise this should be function(err, result)

So for a grain interface that looks like this:

namespace MyGrainInterfaces
{
    public interface IGrain1 : Orleans.IGrain
    {
        Task SetValues(string stringValue, int intValue, bool boolValue);
        Task<string> GetString();
    }
}

We would use the following code to call it from node:

// IGrain1.SetValues
client.call('Grain1', 0, 'SetValues', ['myString', 100, true], function(err){
	if (err) console.log(err);
});

// IGrain1.GetString
client.call('Grain1', 0, 'GetString', [], function(err, result){
	if (err) console.log(err);

	console.log(result); // 'myString'
});

Known Issues

• Grains with generics are not supported (i.e. IGrain<T>)
• Only simple types are supported (i.e. string, int, double, bool );

License

MIT