navigator.tapConnect
This is a highly experimental project. You better keep out for a while :-)
Overview
https://cyberphone.github.io/openkeystore/resources/docs/tapConnect.pdf
API
This API extends the navigator object by a single method
tapConnect('Name of target application' [, optionalArgument])
which returns a JavaScript Promise to a port object.
The port object supports the following methods and events:
- postMessage(message)
- disconnect()
- addMessageListener(function(message))
- addConnectionListener(function(initialized))
optionalArgument and message must be a valid JSON-serializable JavaScript objects.
initialized is a boolean which is true when a "tap" has been initiated and false when the connection terminates.
An example which could be hosted in an ordinary (non-privileged) web page:
navigator.tapConnect('com.example.myapp').then(function(port) {
port.addMessageListener(function(message) {
// We got a message from the external application...
});
port.addConnectionListener(function(initialized) {
if (initialized) {
// Someone tapped!
} else {
// Exernal application disconnected
}
});
port.postMessage({greeting:'External app, how are you doing?'});
// Note: JavaScript serialization makes the above a genuine JSON object
port.disonnect(); // Good-bye external application...
}, function(err) {
console.debug(err);
});The argument to tapConnect holds the name of the specifically adapted local application to invoke. The current scheme uses a Java-inspired dotted path which is supposed to be mapped to the external device's OS in an OS-specific way.