So i have this idea for an App and i need some configurations on the backend so obviously i decided to go with node.js because that's an option I'm more familiar with, but i need to have different configurations for different clients connected to the application. For example when a client visits the base url, it'll save that users information and use it whenever he visits other routes on the backend. But i can't seem to get that work using express, i have tried socket.io but that doesn't meet my needs. But how does the client side i.e browsers run different instances of the same application but my backend doesn't?... its still javascript, i don't want to use docker images or anything like that, i just want it on the same port is that possible?
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I have a Node.JS backend running on Heroku which pulls data from a Google sheet. This app will run once a day to pull updated data from the Google Sheet.
I also have a client written in HTML, CSS & JS which will need to draw that data from the backend.
The problem is, the client runs on a different server than than the Node.JS backend. This means I have to have the Node.JS backend update some form of database, then have the client download that data.
Some important information:
I don't have access to the client server, but of course I can access the backend.
I only need to transfer a very small amount of data (only 4 pieces of data).
I am doing this as a volunteer project, and therefore anything suggested needs to be free.
These are the options I have considered:
Option 1: Use Heroku Postgres
This is the option I initially wanted to use. However, I learnt that the credentials to access the database change every so often, so that means the final product may not be completely hands-free.
Option 2: Find an external SQL database host
This is the more likely option of the two. However, I've found that many free database host are insecure and difficult to use. I had a look at 000webhost, but I quickly learnt the database was hosted on localhost - this meant it couldn't be accessed by my client.
Which of these options, if any, are the best? What other methods can I use to accomplish this? Could someone please give me some recommendations on services which I could use?
I want to upload file into folder from which my Angular app is served while running on localhost. I'm not able to find any solution without using backend.
For example I just want to upload an image file and that file should copy in specified folder of the project. This should be done only with Angular without using any Backend script or hitting any API endpoint.
Depending on your webhost, you can make your assets-folder accessible via FTP.
Making a FTP-call from javascript (angular is javascript) isn't that difficult. And there are plenty of example and questions about it on the internet (like this)
Why you wouldn't do that:
The credentials for your ftp-connection will be accessible in the compiled javascript-code. With a little bit of effort, everyone can find it.
Each gate you open through the webhosts firewall, is a extra vulnerability. Thats why everybody will recommend you to add an API endpoint for uploading files so that you keep holding the strings of what may be uploaded.
Edit:
As I read your question again and all the sub-answers, I (think) figured out that you are building an native-like app with no back-end, just an angular-single page front-end application. An I can understand why (you can run this on every platform in an application that supports javascript), but the problem you are encountering is only the first of a whole series.
If this is the case, I wouldn't call it uploadingas you would store it locally.
But the good news is that you have localstoragefor your use to store temporary data on the HDD of the client. It isn't a very large space but it is something...
The assets folder is one of the statically served folders of the Angular app. It is located on the server so you can't add files to it without hitting the server (HTTP server, API, or whatever else...).
Even when running your app on localhost, there's a web server under the hood, so it behaves exactly the same than a deployed application, and you can't add files to the assets folder via the Angular app.
I don't know what exactly you want to do with your uploaded files, but:
If you want to use them on client side only, and in one user session, then you can just store the file in a javascript variable and do what you want with it
If you want to share them across users, or across user sessions, then you need to store them on the server, and you can't bypass an API or some HTTP server configuration
Based on your clarification in one of your comments:
I'm trying to develop a small speed test application in which user can upload any file from his system to check upload and download speed.
The only way to avoid having you own backend is to use 3rd party API.
There are some dedicated speed test websites, which also provide API access. E.g.:
https://myspeed.today
http://www.speedtest.net
https://speedof.me/api.html
Some more: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=free+speedtest+api
Note, that many of these APIs are paid services.
Also, I've been able to find this library https://github.com/ddsol/speedtest.net, which might indicate that speedtest.net has some kind of free API tier. But this is up to you to investigate.
This question might also be of help, as it shows using speedtest.net in React Native: Using speedtest.net api with React Native
You can use a third party library such ng-speed-test. For instance here is an Angular library which has an image hosted on a third party server (ie GitHub) to test internet speed.
I'm attempting to make a Web app that needs to communicate to a program written in C Sharp. But I can't find a good form of communication. What I need is if a user clicks something on the Web app, it will notify the C Sharp program. Also, if an event happens on the C Sharp program, it needs to alert the Web app. Both of these are going to be running on the same machine.
Right now I'm mainly focusing on the C Sharp program just periodically "asking" what the status of the Web app is.
I've tried using POST requests to the Web app and I've had a bit of success with this but I don't know how to essentially store and update a "status" on the Web App. For example, C Sharp program sends a POST/GET request asking for the status, the Web app responds with "nothing has changed" or some sort of status code. I don't know how to keep track of that status.
I've attempted using Web Sockets but I don't think it is going to be possible on the C Sharp side. However, I'm definitely open to suggestions on how this might work.
I've looked into using the ReST architectural style but I'm having a hard time understanding how I would implement it. I'm using mainly AJAX on an apache server and most of the ReST examples I saw used IIS.
One way I've been successful with this is a horrible workaround. I use 3 files to store contents, status of Web app, and status of C Sharp program. But this requires me constantly fetching files, reading them, writing a new one, and uploading it.
Sorry if this question is poorly formed, I'm obviously new to a lot of this and this is my first SO post. Also, I'd include example code but I'm posting this from my tablet so it's not accessible right now.
If they are on the same machine, you can use 'pipes' (Unix), local sockets or file handlers.
These are all types of IO objects both applications can 'listen' to without exposing themselves to the network and without blocking while they are 'waiting' for data..
... But this will limit your scalability.
Another option is to use a Pub/Sub service such as Redis. This is a better option than websockets, because you can have multiple C# apps listening to multiple web apps on a centralized data source.
It uses the same IO concept (using sockets) behind an abstraction layer coupled with a database - it's very effective.
Good luck!
I implemented something similar to this. I needed a desktop application to listen for api calls from the browser. I ultimately decided to implement a "web connector" which can either be created as part of the application OR installed as a service.
Here is a good example: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.net.sockets.tcplistener(v=vs.110).aspx
I've googled for few days, some tutorials talking about using ember-cli to build an ember app, but most of them are teaching me to separate the server into two.
That is, one for providing the API endpoint to query the database (with custom express server, mongoDB...), and one for hosting the website (with ember-cli), it means that I have to start two node.js backend servers to serve one website.
Can I do it in one node.js app?
Yes, the only limit to how many "sites" you can run in a single node.js app is based on the hardware of your server. Even the smallest of servers should be able to handle running your api + the website endpoints in one node.js app.
However, what you have isn't two node.js apps, you have an express.js api, and then an ember-cli webapp. It isn't built in such a way that it would be easy to simply consume your ember-cli webapp with your api or the other way around, so i'd have to go with "Yes, it is probably possible", however, good luck making it happen.
I would avoid trying to combine them.
Is it possible to allow two clients interact directly without a server?
I am referring to websites, for example is it possible to create a chat between two clients that are on the same website using only javascript on the client-side.
If not, what's the minimum server-side to make a chat work between active clients on a website? (eg: one PHP file and no database) ?
My idea:
Storing the conversation would be easily done using localStorage on each client, the problem is how to send some data from client1 to client2 without storing anything (or at most that message) in the database. Also, note that "past" conversations should not visible, so no storage needed for that.
Note that I don't want any nodeJS or websocket solutions, I want something as simple as possible. So, what's the minimum code and files to make a chat between online users?
The WebRTC APIs will allow JavaScript to initiate a direct browser-to-browser connection, but a server is still required to serve the page and coordinate session initiation.
The APIs are still rapidly evolving and only available in bleeding-edge browsers, so it's not yet ready for real production use.
However—to be honest—for what you're trying to do, the easiest option is Node and socket.io:
var http=require('http'), express=require('express'), sio = require('socket.io')
, app=express(), srv = http.createServer(app);
app.use(express.static(__dirname+'/static'));
sio.listen(srv);
srv.listen(80);
...and now you have a working websockets server in 5 lines. Put all your client-side stuff in the static folder and you're good to go.
HTML5 has got a new Web Sockets feature
With this the server intervention is almost nullified..The server and client communicate through the new protocols
ws - Web Sockets protocol
wss - Web Sockets Secure protocol (similar to https)
Live demo
No, It's not possible. If you want a chat box, you have to store the data in the server. And what connects the clients, like display the chat texts and the same things to every client, they come from the server.. So it's not possible like that. Well, even free chat boxes put the data of each sites in their servers.
As for your idea using localStorage, maybe it's possible (But still, using the new WebSocket protocol), but it doesn't work in the time dimension, right? if another user joins, they won't see what has been sent before.