chatty

A simple web browser iframe host/client channel message manager. It uses MessageChannels to avoid cross-talk between multiple iframes. It allows configuring the iframe to run in sandboxed mode.

A user first initiates the creation of a client iframe using the createHost(url) method, adding event handlers using on(eventName, data). They then creates the iframe using build(), and opens a communication channel using connect(). Once the channel opens, the user can send messages to the client with send(eventName, data)

import { Chatty } from 'chatty'

Chatty.createHost('//example.com/client.html')
    .on(Actions.SET_STATUS, (msg: Msg) => {
      const status: Element = document.querySelector('#host-status')!
      status.innerHTML = `${msg.status} 1`
    })
    .build()
    .connect()
    .then(client => {
      document.querySelector('#change-status')!.addEventListener('click', () => {
        client.send(Actions.SET_STATUS, { status: 'Message to client 1' })
      })
    })
    .catch(console.error)

The client iframe creates its client using createClient(). It also adds event listeners, builds the client and connects. Once connected, it can send messages to its host.

  import { Chatty } from 'chatty'

  Chatty.createClient()
    .on(Actions.SET_STATUS, (msg: Msg) => {
      const status = document.querySelector('#client-status')!
      status.innerHTML = msg.status
    })
    .build()
    .connect()
    .then(host => {
      document.querySelector('#change-status')!.addEventListener('click', () => {
        host.send(Actions.SET_STATUS, { status: 'click from client' })
      })
    })
    .catch(console.error)

Getting Started

1. Make sure you have node and npm versions installed per package.json's "engines" field.
2. npm install
3. npm test
4. npm start
5. Happy hacking!

Repository Layout

• /src - This is where you should do all the work on Chatty.
• /lib - This is the built output generated by running npm run build. No editing should be done here.
• /demo - This is what is hosted by WebpackDevServer via npm start. Use this to build a demo and test Chatty in real time (no need to refresh the page manually or restart the dev server, it does that for you).

NPM Commands

• npm run build - runs the Typescript compiler, outputting all generated source files to /lib. Run this when creating a new build to distribute on github.
• npm run lint - runs the ts linter
• npm run lint-fix - runs the ts linter and attempts to auto fix problems
• npm start - starts a dev server mounted on /demo.
• npm test - runs the test suite for Chatty.