HTTP events inconsistent with Node.js documentation

[magwo]

It seems that the network (http) events emitted by the Tessel http module are highly inconsistent with the Node.js behaviour and documentation.

For example, I don't seem to be getting any 'connection', 'end', 'finish', or listen (after sucessfully starting to listen on a port) events.

Are these bugs, or am I doing something wrong? Or does the tessel http module not aim to replicate the Node.js http module?

[jiahuang]

These are bugs, we're aiming for full compat (or as close as we can get it with an embedded wifi chip).

If you want to contribute and help add those in, the relevant http module is here.

[magwo]

Ok! Will take a look. Thanks.

[magwo]

Did some research on the 'listening' event for starters, and it seems like, in the Node source code, the event originates from the generic Server prototype, which makes sense:
https://github.com/joyent/node/blob/master/lib/net.js#L1145

Would one want to do the same in the Tessel runtime?

For example emit it here after listening and setting properties in the TcpServer:
https://github.com/tessel/runtime/blob/master/src/colony/modules/net.js#L383

Or just put it straight on the HttpServer?
https://github.com/tessel/runtime/blob/master/src/colony/modules/http.js#L206

[magwo]

One potential problem is that Node claims the listen operation is async, while this call in Tessel:
tm.tcp_listen(...)

is apparently synchronous. Correct?
However, I don't think this would be a problem in practice, as long as the event is emitted at the right line.

[magwo]

In Node it looks like http.Server inherits net.Server.
It seems that Tessel HTTPServer does not inherit TCPServer.

Is this something that will/could change, or do you consider it good thing? I guess the Tessel runtime could be more similar to the Node code if the HTTPServer did inherit the TCPServer.

[jiahuang]

Hi @magwo, thanks for looking into this.

I'd prefer that the listen event go in the corresponding file for Tessel (https://github.com/tessel/runtime/blob/master/src/colony/modules/net.js#L383).

tm.tcp_listen configures the listening socket to be non-blocking. We then continue polling the CC3000 socket to check if a new inbound connection is made.

Making Tessel HTTPServer inherit from TCPServer seems like a necessary change. If you're interested and have time, we would gladly accept a patch making this change.

[johnnyman727]

@magwo These Node compat improvements (excluding making the CC3k functionality async) were included in #313. Let me know if you find any other net incompatibilities.

[magwo]

Excellent. Will try it out when I find the time.