PartySocket (Client API)

PartySocket is a TypeScript client library for connecting to PartyKit servers via WebSockets.

Install

npm install partysocket@latest

Features

• WebSocket API compatible (same interface, Level0 and Level2 event model)
• Automatically reconnect if the connection is closed.
• Multi-platform (Web, ServiceWorkers, Node.js, React Native)
• Dependency free (does not depend on Window, DOM or any EventEmitter library)
• Handle connection timeouts
• Allows changing server URL between reconnections
• Buffering. Will send accumulated messages on open
• Multiple builds available (see dist folder)
• Debug mode
• Fully configurable
• Works everywhere, not just with PartyKit!

Usage

Compatible with WebSocket Browser API

MDN WebSocket API.

Usage with PartyKit

import PartySocket from "partysocket";

const ws = new PartySocket({
  host: "project-name.username.partykit.dev", // or localhost:1999 in dev
  room: "my-room",
  // add an optional id to identify the client,
  // if not provided, a random id will be generated
  // note that the id needs to be unique per connection,
  // not per user, so e.g. multiple devices or tabs need a different id
  id: "some-connection-id",

  // optionally, specify the party to connect to.
  // if not provided, will connect to the "main" party defined in partykit.json
  party: "main",

  // optionally, pass an object of query string parameters to add to the request
  query: async () => ({
    token: await getAuthToken(),
  }),
});

// optionally, update the properties of the connection
// (e.g. to change the host or room)
ws.updateProperties({
  host: "another-project.username.partykit.dev",
  room: "my-new-room",
});

ws.reconnect(); // make sure to call reconnect() after updating the properties

Usage with React

PartySocket also exports a React hook for convenience:

import usePartySocket from "partysocket/react";

const Component = () => {
  const ws = usePartySocket({
    // usePartySocket takes the same arguments as PartySocket.
    host: "project-name.username.partykit.dev", // or localhost:1999 in dev
    room: "my-room",

    // in addition, you can provide socket lifecycle event handlers
    // (equivalent to using ws.addEventListener in an effect hook)
    onOpen() {
      console.log("connected");
    },
    onMessage(e) {
      console.log("message", e.data);
    },
    onClose() {
      console.log("closed");
    },
    onError(e) {
      console.log("error");
    },
  });
};

The usePartySocket hook handles connecting on mount, disconnecting on unmount, and cleaning up the on(Connect|Message|Close|Error) handlers.

Usage with other WebSocket servers

PartySocket can be used with any WebSocket server, not only PartyKit servers.

import { WebSocket } from "partysocket";

const ws = new WebSocket("wss://my.site.com");

ws.addEventListener("open", () => {
  ws.send("hello!");
});

Update URL

The url parameter will be resolved before connecting, possible types:

• string
• () => string
• () => Promise<string>

import { WebSocket } from "partysocket";

const urls = [
  "wss://my.site.com",
  "wss://your.site.com",
  "wss://their.site.com",
];
let urlIndex = 0;

// round robin url provider
const urlProvider = () => urls[urlIndex++ % urls.length];

const ws = new WebSocket(urlProvider);

import { WebSocket } from "partysocket";

// async url provider
const urlProvider = async () => {
  const token = await getSessionToken();
  return `wss://my.site.com/${token}`;
};

const ws = new WebSocket(urlProvider);

Update Protocols

The protocols parameter will be resolved before connecting, possible types:

• null
• string
• string[]
• () => string | string[] | null
• () => Promise<string | string[] | null>

import { WebSocket } from "partysocket";
const ws = new WebSocket("wss://your.site.com", "your protocol");

import WebSocket from 'partysocket`;

const protocols = ['p1', 'p2', ['p3.1', 'p3.2']];
let protocolsIndex = 0;

// round robin protocols provider
const protocolsProvider = () => protocols[protocolsIndex++ % protocols.length];

const ws = new WebSocket('wss://your.site.com', protocolsProvider);

Options

Sample with custom options

import { WebSocket } from "partysocket";
import WS from "ws";

const options = {
  WebSocket: WS, // custom WebSocket constructor
  connectionTimeout: 1000,
  maxRetries: 10,
};
const ws = new WebSocket("wss://my.site.com", [], options);

Available options

type Options = {
  WebSocket?: any; // WebSocket constructor, if none provided, defaults to global WebSocket
  maxReconnectionDelay?: number; // max delay in ms between reconnections
  minReconnectionDelay?: number; // min delay in ms between reconnections
  reconnectionDelayGrowFactor?: number; // how fast the reconnection delay grows
  minUptime?: number; // min time in ms to consider connection as stable
  connectionTimeout?: number; // retry connect if not connected after this time, in ms
  maxRetries?: number; // maximum number of retries
  maxEnqueuedMessages?: number; // maximum number of messages to buffer until reconnection
  startClosed?: boolean; // start websocket in CLOSED state, call `.reconnect()` to connect
  debug?: boolean; // enables debug output
};

Default values

WebSocket: undefined,
maxReconnectionDelay: 10000,
minReconnectionDelay: 1000 + Math.random() * 4000,
reconnectionDelayGrowFactor: 1.3,
minUptime: 5000,
connectionTimeout: 4000,
maxRetries: Infinity,
maxEnqueuedMessages: Infinity,
startClosed: false,
debug: false,

API

Methods

constructor(url: UrlProvider, protocols?: ProtocolsProvider, options?: Options)

close(code?: number, reason?: string)
reconnect(code?: number, reason?: string)

send(data: string | ArrayBuffer | Blob | ArrayBufferView)

addEventListener(type: 'open' | 'close' | 'message' | 'error', listener: EventListener)
removeEventListener(type:  'open' | 'close' | 'message' | 'error', listener: EventListener)

Attributes

More info

binaryType: string;
bufferedAmount: number;
extensions: string;
onclose: EventListener;
onerror: EventListener;
onmessage: EventListener;
onopen: EventListener;
protocol: string;
readyState: number;
url: string;
retryCount: number;

Constants

CONNECTING 0 The connection is not yet open.
OPEN       1 The connection is open and ready to communicate.
CLOSING    2 The connection is in the process of closing.
CLOSED     3 The connection is closed or couldn't be opened.

Acknowledgements