Created a simple JsonRPC based chat server example, shows:

- Asynchronous JsonRPC handling on both client and server side
- Errors and timeout handling

contrib/client_side/jsonrpc/jsonrpc.js

@@ -24,6 +24,33 @@
 ///    - id - JSONRPC id. It should be null for notification methods
 ///       and it should be some integer or string for function methods
 ///
+/// Each method given in the constructor would have following properties:
+///
+/// on_error(e) - Returned error, where e.type is one of 'transport', 'protocol', 'response' and
+///     e.error is the error object. 
+/// on_result(r) - Returned method result, or on_result() - for notifications.
+///
+/// For example
+///
+/// var rpc = new JsonRPC('/chat',['getValue','getStatistics'],['updateValue']);
+///
+/// // Asynchronouse method
+///
+/// rpc.getValue.on_error = function(e) { alert('Error:' + e.error); }
+/// rpc.getValue.on_result = function(r) { alert(r); }
+///
+/// rpc.getValue();
+///
+/// // Synchronous method
+///
+/// // not setting callbacks or setting on_error and on_result to null
+/// // makes them synchronous rpc calls. For example;
+///
+/// alert(rpc.getStatistics());
+/// rpc.updateValue(10);
+///
+///
+
 function JsonRPC(uri,function_methods,notification_methods) {
 	if(!(this instanceof JsonRPC)) 
 		return new JsonRPC(uri,function_methods,notification_methods);
@@ -75,7 +102,13 @@ JsonRPC.prototype.syncCall = function(name,id,params) {
 	if(xhr.status!=200) 
 		throw Error('Invalid response:' + xhr.status);
 	if(id!=null) {
-		var response = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
+		var response = null;
+		try {
+			response = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
+		}
+		catch(e) {
+			throw Error('Invalid JSON-RPC response');
+		}
 		if(response.error != null) 
 			throw Error(response.error);
 		return response.result;
@@ -95,7 +128,14 @@ JsonRPC.prototype.asyncCall = function(name,id,params,on_result,on_error) {
 			return;
 		if(xhr.status==200) {
 			if(id!=null) {
-				var response = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
+				var response = null;
+				try {
+					response = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
+				}
+				catch(e) {
+					on_error({'type' : 'protocol', 'error' : 'invalid response'});
+					return;
+				}
 				if(response.error != null) {
 					on_error({'type': 'response', 'error' : response.error });
 				}

examples/json_rpc_chat/chat.cpp

@@ -41,48 +41,55 @@ public:
         cppcms::rpc::json_rpc_server(srv),
         timer_(srv.get_io_service())
     {
+        // Our main methods
         bind("post",cppcms::rpc::json_method(&chat::post,this),notification_role);
         bind("get",cppcms::rpc::json_method(&chat::get,this),method_role);
+        
+        // Add timeouts to the system
         last_wake_ = time(0);
         on_timer(booster::system::error_code());
     }
+
+    // Handle new message call
     void post(std::string const &author,std::string const &message)
     {
         cppcms::json::value obj;
         obj["author"]=author;
         obj["message"]=message;
         messages_.push_back(obj);
-        last_wake_ = time(0);
         broadcast(messages_.size()-1);
     }
 
     void on_timer(booster::system::error_code const &e)
     {
         if(e) return; // cancelation
-        if(last_wake_ - time(0) > 10) {
+
+        // check idle connections for more then 10 seconds
+        if(time(0) - last_wake_ > 10) {
             broadcast(messages_.size());
-            last_wake_ = time(0);
         }
+        // restart timer
         timer_.expires_from_now(booster::ptime::seconds(1));
         timer_.async_wait(boost::bind(&chat::on_timer,booster::intrusive_ptr<chat>(this),_1));
-        std::cout << "Status: \n"
-            << "Waiters: " << waiters_.size() << '\n'
-            << "Messages:" << messages_.size() <<'\n'
-            << "[";
-        for(size_t i=0;i<messages_.size();i++)
-            std::cout << messages_[i] << std::endl;
-        std::cout <<"]" << std::endl;
     }
 
+    // Handle request
     void get(unsigned from)
     {
         if(from < messages_.size()) {
+            // not long polling - return result now
             return_result(make_response(from));
             return;
         }
         else if(from == messages_.size()) {
+            // Can't answer now
+
+            // Add long polling request to the list
+
             booster::shared_ptr<cppcms::rpc::json_call> call=release_call();
             waiters_.insert(call);
+
+            // set disconnect callback
             call->context().async_on_peer_reset(
                 boost::bind(
                     &chat::remove_context,
@@ -93,36 +100,53 @@ public:
             return_error("Invalid position");
         }
     }
+
+    // handle client disconnect
     void remove_context(booster::shared_ptr<cppcms::rpc::json_call> call)
     {
         waiters_.erase(call);
     }
+
     void broadcast(size_t from)
     {
+        // update timeout
+        last_wake_ = time(0);
+        // Prepare response
+        cppcms::json::value response = make_response(from);
+        // Send it to everybody
         for(waiters_type::iterator waiter=waiters_.begin();waiter!=waiters_.end();++waiter) {
             booster::shared_ptr<cppcms::rpc::json_call> call = *waiter;
-            call->return_result(make_response(from));
+            call->return_result(response);
         }
         waiters_.clear();
     }
+
+    // Prepare response to the client
     cppcms::json::value make_response(size_t n)
     {
         cppcms::json::value v;
 
+        // Small optimization
         v=cppcms::json::array();
         cppcms::json::array &ar  = v.array();
-
         ar.reserve(messages_.size() - n);
+
+        // prepare all messages
         for(size_t i=n;i<messages_.size();i++) {
             ar.push_back(messages_[i]);
         }
-        std::cout << "Response to client:" << v << std::endl;
         return v;
     }
 private:
+
+    // message store
     std::vector<cppcms::json::value> messages_;
+
+    // long poll requests
     typedef std::set<booster::shared_ptr<cppcms::rpc::json_call> > waiters_type;
     waiters_type waiters_;
+
+    // timer for resetting idle requests
     booster::aio::deadline_timer timer_;
     time_t last_wake_;
 };

examples/json_rpc_chat/the_chat.html → examples/json_rpc_chat/index.html

@@ -8,8 +8,16 @@
 	<title>Chat Room</title>
 
 	<script type="text/javascript">
-		message_count = 0;
+		// Global values:
+		
+		// RPC object with two methods:
+		//
+		// get(counter), returns array of objects with properties author and message
+		// post(author,message) posts new chat message
+		//
 		rpc = new JsonRPC('/chat',['get'],['post']);
+		// Messages counter - where to get new messages from, parameter for rpc.get
+		message_count = 0;
 
 		function make_error(what,e)
 		{
@@ -25,7 +33,6 @@
 					'<dd>' + m.message + '</dd>';
 				message_count++;
 			}
-			//messagesHtml.innerHTML += '<p>JSON: ' +  JSON.stringify(messages) + '</p>' ;
 
 			restart();
 		}
@@ -35,25 +42,29 @@
 			document.getElementById('reconnect').disabled = false;
 		}
 	 
-		rpc.post.on_error = function(e) {
-			make_error('Posting New Messages',e);
-		}
 		rpc.post.on_result = function() {
+			// reset the form content
 			document.getElementById("message").value = '';
 		}
+		rpc.post.on_error = function(e) {
+			make_error('Posting New Messages',e);
+		}
 
 		function restart()
 		{
 			rpc.get(message_count);
 		}
+		
 		function reconnect_to_server()
 		{
 			message_count = 0;
 			document.getElementById('error_message').innerHTML = '';
+			document.getElementById('messages').innerHTML = '';
+			document.getElementById('reconnect').disabled = true;
 			restart();
 			return false;
 		}
-
+		
 		function send_data() {
 			author = document.getElementById('author').value;
 			message = document.getElementById("message").value;