= HookBox Notes =

Hookbox is a comet server and message queue that tightly integrates with web application frameworks. The goal of Hookbox is to allow your web application (php, django, rails, etc.) to handle all of the logic pertaining to authentication, authorization, logging, message transformation, etc, while still hiding the hard parts of Comet.

== Hookbox HTTP Api ==

=== /publish ===

Request

URL: [HOOKBOX]/publish

Request Form: channel_name: The destination to publish the message payload: (default null) The payload for the message

Responses true: It worked false: Some error occurred

=== /channel_info ===

Request

URL: [HOOKBOX]/channel_info

Request Form: channel_name: The destination to publish the message payload: (default null) The payload for the message

Response: true: It worked false: Some error occurred

Response Data channel_name (string): The name of the channel subscribers (list): List of channel subscribers reflective (bool): Does this channel reflect publishes to publisher history (int): Length of history kept in the channel

=== /set_channel_options ===

Request

URL: [HOOKBOX]/set_channel_options

Request Form: channel_name: The name of the channel to modify with the given options. reflective: (bool, default=true) history_size: (int, default=0) Determines the size of the history kept per channel. This history is sent to users when they subscribe to a channel. moderated: (bool, default=true) If true, then all events on the channel must be authorized via a callback. moderated_publish: (bool, default=true) If true, publish events must be authorized via a callback. moderated_subscribe: (bool, default=true) If true, subscribe events must be authorized via a callback. moderated_unsubscribe: (bool, default=true) If true, unsubscribe events must be authorized via a callback. presenceful: (bool, default=false) If true, presence lists will be attached to each publish frame. Also, SUBSCRIBED and UNSUBSCRIBED frames will be sent to all channel subscribers when another user subscribes or unsubscribes. anonymous: (bool, default=false) If true, usernames will be omitted from publish frames Response: true: It worked false: Some error occurred

Response Data None

== HookBox Webhooks ==

Each webhook takes arguments in the form of a querystring encoded post body that should just work with existing form processing infrastructure.

Each webhook returns a JSON list, of the form [ boolean, object ]. The first argument signifies the authorization/success of the operation, and the object contains various options that vary by hook type.

All webhooks will have a "Cookie:" header with a value identical to the browser that caused the request to be initiated. The "context" of the webhook call should therefore contain a session for the originating browser.

=== connect ===

Request

URL: [ROOT]/connect

Request Form: (empty)

Responses: true: Authorize connection false: Deny connection

Response Options name (optional): the Display Name for this connection; it will be used for presence. auto_subscribe (optional): (list) A list of channels to attempt to auto-subscribe the user. Each will generate a subscribe callback. auto_unsubscribe (optional): (list) A list of channels to attempt to auto-unsubscribe the user. Each will generate an unsubscribe callback.

=== create channel ===

Request URL: [ROOT]/create_channel

Request Form: destination: The channel's URI

Responses: true: Authorize channel creation false: Deny channel creation

Response Options history: (int, default 0) Specifies the amount of history that should be saved on the channel. When a user first subscribes they will be sent this history. set_history: (list, default []) Pre-populates history for the channel

Note: A create channel is issuing when a user subscribes to a non-existent destination. There will usually be a /subscribe callback immediately following a create_channel callback, unless the channel creation is denied.

=== publish ===

Request URL: [ROOT]/publish

Request Form: destination: The channel's URI payload: The json payload to be published

Responses: true: Authorize publishing false: Deny publishing

Response Options override_payload (optional): If specified, this payload will be delivered instead of the original payload auto_subscribe (optional): (list) A list of channels to attempt to auto-subscribe the user. Each will generate a subscribe callback. auto_unsubscribe (optional): (list) A list of channels to attempt to auto-unsubscribe the user. Each will generate an unsubscribe callback.

=== unsubscribe ===

Request URL: [ROOT]/unsubscribe

Request Form: destination: The channel's URI

Responses: true: Authorize unsubscribe false: Deny unsubscribe

Response Options auto_subscribe (optional): (list) A list of channels to attempt to auto-subscribe the user. Each will generate a subscribe callback. auto_unsubscribe (optional): (list) A list of channels to attempt to auto-unsubscribe the user. Each will generate an unsubscribe callback.

=== disconnect ===

Request URL: [ROOT]/disconnect

Request Form: channels: (list) The channels the users was in.

Responses: true: Required (Doesn't really do anything) false: Meaningless (but does the same as true.)

Response Options (None)

== Overview ==

A typical session with a Hookbox application might Look like this:

1) User navigates to http://www.example.com/index.html The user is given a login page, which he fills out. 2) Browser POSTs to http://www.example.com/login Included in the post body is the username and password 3) Web application returns Cookie: session_id=abc; 4) Web application redirects user to http://www.example.com/home The user is now logged into the application and sees the gui 5) Browser calls hookbox.connect('http://hookbox.example.com') 6) Browser send a CONNECT frame to hookbox, including { cookie: "session_id=abc"; } 7) Hookbox makes an HTTP POST to http://www.example.com/hookbox/connect Hookbox includes the header "Cookie: session_id=abc;" 8) The Web Application responds with a json payload: [ true, {}] This gives authorization for the client to connect 9) Browser calls hookbox.publish('test.location', ["Hello", "World"]

10) Hookbox makes an HTTP POST to http://www.example.com/hookbox/publish Hookbox includes the header "Cookie: session_id=abc;" Hookbox includes a query string in the POST body with the data payload=["Hello", "World"] channel_name=test.location 11) The Web app returns the json payload: [true, { } ] This gives authorization for the client to publish the message 12) Hookbox sends a PUBLISH frame to all clients currently subscribed to the channel 'test.location'