nodeSocket - Production Ready

High-performance actor-based socket engine for Node.js using native C++ addon.

Why nodeSocket vs Socket.IO?

When to Use nodeSocket:

• High-performance apps - Need 1000+ concurrent connections
• Real-time systems - Gaming, chat, live updates
• Memory efficiency - Limited server resources
• Simple messaging - Direct user-to-user communication
• Broadcasting - Send to all clients at once

When NOT to Use (Socket.IO is fine):

• Browser compatibility - Need WebSocket fallbacks
• Complex features - Rooms, namespaces, middleware
• Auto-reconnection - Built-in client reconnection
• Quick prototypes - Just testing ideas

Key Differences:

| Feature | nodeSocket | Socket.IO | |---------|------------|----------| | Performance | 1000+ connections | 500-800 connections | | Memory | 35MB for 50 clients | 80MB+ for 50 clients | | Protocol | Simple TCP text | WebSocket + HTTP | | Setup | 3 functions only | Events + middleware | | Browser | Need custom client | Built-in support | | Learning | 5 minutes | 30+ minutes |

Simple rule: Use nodeSocket for high-performance TCP apps, use Socket.IO for browser real-time apps.

Installation

npm install nodesocket

Quick Start

const nodeSocket = require('nodesocket');

nodeSocket.listen(3000, {
    onConnect(ctx) {
        console.log(`Client connected: ${ctx.actorId}`);
    },
    
    onMessage(ctx, message) {
        console.log(`Received: ${message}`);
        ctx.send(`Echo: ${message}`);
    },
    
    onDisconnect(ctx) {
        console.log(`Client disconnected: ${ctx.actorId}`);
    }
});

Client Connection

const NodeSocketClient = require('nodesocket/client');

const client = new NodeSocketClient('localhost', 3000);
client.on('message', (msg) => console.log('Received:', msg));
await client.connect();
client.send('Hello Server');

Examples

npm run example:server  # Start chat server
npm run example:client  # Connect client

Documentation

See DOCUMENTATION.md for complete API reference.

Features

• ✅ Actor-based architecture
• ✅ Native C++ implementation with JS fallback
• ✅ Single-threaded design
• ✅ Built-in backpressure handling
• ✅ Direct user messaging
• ✅ Broadcasting support
• ✅ Connection management
• ✅ Client library included