The document presents a detailed overview of WebSockets in the context of ColdFusion and open source engines, including implementation methods, challenges faced, and support for various browsers. It highlights the complexity of integrating WebSockets, particularly with frameworks like Node.js and Railo, while providing troubleshooting tips for common issues. Key points include a demo of a simple chat implementation and discussions on the future of WebSockets in ColdFusion applications.

1. Open CF Summit 2012
Billy Cravens

2.  Billy Cravens
 ColdFusion since 4.0 (1999)
 Houston CFUG manager
 Former DFWCFUG board member
 Other languages: PHP, .NET; node.js ninja in
training
 Remember the Wrox book?
 Supporter of Cystic Fibrosis
 www.CureCF.com

3.  Full-blown training on WebSockets
 Limited to only open source engines
 A spectacular demo – we’ll look at bare bones
chat implementation
 “I hate chat app examples”
- Ray Camden
 In-depth knowledge of OSS roadmaps

4.  An overview of options in all available CFML
engines
 Highlight the role of open source solutions
across this entire space
 A review of the landscape on February 25,
2012

5.  Polling
 Long-polling / Comet
 Flash

6.  What are they?
▪ Bi-directional, full duplex TCP communication in the
browser
▪ Not finalized – multiple versions
▪ ws(s)://serviceURI(:port)(/optional/path)
▪ Client side: JavaScript

7.  Support
 Browsers that support WebSockets
▪ IE 10+, FF 6+, Chrome 14+, iOS 4.2+, BB OS7
 Using Flash and JavaScript as polyfill
▪ https://github.com/gimite/web-socket-js
▪ The code

8.  node.js/socket.io
 WebSockets + evented JavaScript
 Complexity
 PusherApp
 Hosted service
 Dependent

9.  ColdFusion < v.10
 Railo
 Open BlueDragon

10.  https://github.com/nmische/cf-websocket-
gateway
 Built on Netty, non-blocking IO framework
for Java (similar to node.js)
 Built on Webbit, a Java WebSocket server

11.  Event gateway
 Copy JARs and restart ColdFusion
 Configure gateway type
 Configure gateway instance
 Create CFC with WebSocket methods
▪ Open Connection
▪ Close Connection
▪ Incoming Message

12.  Event gateway
 Railo allows for gateways types to be written in
CFML (ACF=Java)
 Railo has extension API: add gateways, libraries,
etc, via Admin
 Gateway based on lightweight WebSockets server
▪ https://github.com/TooTallNate/Java-WebSocket

13.  More info
▪ http://wiki.getrailo.org/wiki/Extensions:WebSockets_Ga
teway

14.  I encountered some errors
 You can report – fast to respond
 You can fix – gateway is in CFML
 Install script is CFML – you can troubleshoot

15.  I almost made it work
 fix code in install.cfc:
(railo-root)/WEB-INF/railo/temp/compress/(random
string)/(UUID)/railo/install.cfc
▪ *** didn’t work ***
 manual copy
▪ (railo-root)/WEB-INF/railo/temp/compress/(random string)/(UUID)/railo
WebSocket.cfc and WebSocketListener.cfc
to (railo-root)/WEB-INF/railo/components/railo/extension/gateway/
▪ Then restart
▪ Still no WebSocket option in gateways screen
 Moved WebSocketGateway.cfc from (railo root)/WEB-
INF/railo/context/admin/cdriver to …../gdriver
▪ Restarted - this fixed it
 Had to add mapping to components/railo directory

16.  On to the code ….

17.  Current release (2.02) added socket functions
 Not so fast …
 Raw TCP Sockets, not WebSockets
 
 Options
 craft handshake yourself
 Use a wrapper:
https://github.com/kanaka/websockify
 Write a wrapper: tiny little node.js script

18.  Simple WebSockets support
 Configuration: CF Admin > Server Setting >
WebSocket
 Port: for WS client
 Socket Timeout
 Max Data Size: default OK for most apps
 Start Flash Policy Server: for Flash fallback

19.  The code

20.  Advantages
 Little code
 More open than other approaches (Flash, Blaze
DS, etc)
 Disadvantages
 Little analysis of the guts
 Beta 1 – probably summer before gold
 Commercial product