Class: LinkerClient

Linker Client (Finsemble Workspaces)

The Linker API allows components to synchronize on a piece of data. For instance, an end user can use the Linker to link multiple components by stock symbol. Use the Linker API to enable your components to participate in this synchronization.

In order for components to be linked, the components must understand the data format that will be passed between them (the "context"), and agree on a label that identifies that format (the dataType). For instance, components might choose to publish and subscribe to a dataType called "symbol". They would then also need to agree what a "symbol" looks like, for instance, {symbol:"IBM"}. The Linker API doesn't proscribe any specific format for context or set of labels.

Behind the scenes, the Linker Service coordinates Linker activity between components. It keeps track of the available channels and channel assignments. It uses a dedicated store (the Distributed Store) to maintain this information and also persists the information to workspaces (Workspace Client).

The Linker Client frequently uses the parameters windowIdentifier and componentType. Learn more about them here.

For more information, see the Linking tutorial.

Methods

addEventListener (event, handler)

Name	Type	Description
`event`	string
`handler`	Function

getAllChannels (cb)

Returns all available Linker channels.

Name	Type	Description
`cb`	Function	optional Optional. Callback to retrieve returned results asynchronously.

Examples

Get all channels synchronously

let groups = FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.getAllChannels();

Get all channels asynchronously

FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.getAllChannels((err, channels) => { ... });

getLinkedComponents (params, cb)

Retrieves an array of all components with links that match the given parameters. If no parameters are specified, all windows with established links will be returned.

Name Type Description

params

Optional

Name	Type	Description
`channels`	string[]	optional Restrict to these channels.
`componentTypes`	string[]	optional Restrict to these componentTypes. The componentType is a key in the finsemble.components configuration object.
`windowIdentifier`	identifier	optional Restrict to this component.

cb

StandardCallback

The callback to be invoked if the method fails.

Examples

Get all components linked to a given component

FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.getLinkedComponents({ windowIdentifier: wi });

Get all components linked to channel "group 1"

FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.getLinkedComponents({ channels: ['group1'] });
// Response format: [{windowName: 'Window Name', componentType: 'Component Type', uuid: 'uuid', channels: ['group1'] }]

getLinkedWindows (params, cb)

Retrieves an array of all components with links that match the given parameters. If no parameters are specified, all windows with established links will be returned.

Name Type Description

params

optional

Optional

Name	Type	Description
`channels`	string[]	optional Restrict to these channels.
`client`	any	optional Alias for windowIdentifier.
`componentTypes`	string[]	optional Restrict to these componentTypes. The componentType is a key in the finsemble.components configuration object.
`groups`	string[]	optional Alias for channels.
`windowIdentifier`	identifier	optional Restrict to this component.

cb

StandardCallback

The callback to be invoked if the method fails.

Examples

Get all components linked to a given component

FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.getLinkedWindows({windowIdentifier: wi});

Get all Windows linked to channel "group1"

FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.getLinkedComponents({ channels: ['group1'] });
// Response format: [{ windowName: 'Window Name', componentType: 'Component Type', uuid: 'uuid', channels: ['group1'] }]

getState (windowIdentifier, cb)

Retrieve all channels linked to the requested component. Also returns all available channels.

Name Type Description

windowIdentifier

WindowIdentifier

Name	Type	Description
`componentType`	string	optional The type of component
`uuid`	string	optional Optional uuid of a particular application process
`windowName`	string	The name of the physical HTML window, or a reference to a native window that was launched with Assimilation service
`windowType`	string	optional

cb

StandardCallback

The callback to be invoked if the method fails.

Example

var state=LinkerClient.getState(windowIdentifier)

linkToChannel (channel, windowIdentifier, cb)

Add a component to a Linker channel programmatically. Components will begin receiving any new contexts published to this channel but will not receive the currently established context.

Name Type Description

channel

string | string[]

The name of the channel to link our component to, or an array of names.

windowIdentifier

WindowIdentifier

Name	Type	Description
`componentType`	string	optional The type of component
`uuid`	string	optional Optional uuid of a particular application process
`windowName`	string	The name of the physical HTML window, or a reference to a native window that was launched with Assimilation service
`windowType`	string	optional

cb

Function

optional

Optional. Callback to retrieve returned results asynchronously.

Example


FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.linkToChannel("group3", null); // Link current window to channel.
FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.linkToChannel("group3", windowIdentifier); // Link the requested window to channel.

onStateChange (cb)

Use this method to register a callback which will be called whenever the state of the Linker changes. This will be called whenever a user links or unlinks your component to a channel.

Name	Type	Description
`cb`	StandardCallback	The callback to be invoked if the method fails.

Example

FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.onStateChange(function(err, response){
   if(response.channels){
		console.log("Printout of channel status ", response.channels);
	}
});

openLinkerWindow (cb)

Opens the Linker window.

Name	Type	Description
`cb`	any	The callback to be invoked after the method completes successfully.

publish (params, cb)

Publish a piece of data. The data will be published to all channels that the component is linked to. Foreign components that are linked to those channels will receive the data if they have subscribed to this dataType. They can then use that data to synchronize their internal state. See LinkerClient#subscribe.

Name Type Description

params

Name	Type	Description
`channels`	string[]	optional Optional. Specifies which channels publish this piece of data. This overrides the default which is to publish to all linked channels.
`data`	any	The data ("context") being transmitted.
`dataType`	string	A string representing the data type being sent.

cb

StandardCallback

The callback to be invoked if the method fails.

Example

FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.publish({ dataType:"symbol", data:"AAPL" })

removeEventListener (event, handler)

Removes an event listener added by addEventListener

Name	Type	Description
`event`	any	An event that was used with addEventListener to add a listener
`handler`	any	The handler that was used with addEventListener for the event

subscribe (dataType, cb)

Registers a client for a specific data type that is sent to a channel. Calling `subscribe` multiple times adds additional handlers. A component may be subscribed to a maximum of six channels at the same time.

Name	Type	Description
`dataType`	string	A string representing the data type to subscribe to.
`cb`	Function	A function to be called once the Linker receives the specific data. Use response.originatedHere() to determine if the calling window is also the publisher

Example

FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.subscribe("symbol", function(error, response) {
	if (error) {
		Logger.system.error("Error receiving publish from dataType symbol");
	} else {
		if (response.originatedHere()) {
			Logger.system.warn("Received linker publish from subscribed window, ignoring");
		} else {
			const data = response.data;
			// Logic to perform with data
		}
	}
});

unSubscribe (dataType, cb)

Remove all listeners for the specified dataType.

Name	Type	Description
`dataType`	string	The data type to which the component is subscribed.
`cb`	Function

Example

FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.unsubscribe("symbol");

unlinkFromChannel (channel, windowIdentifier, cb)

Unlinks a component from a Linker channel.

Name Type Description

channel

string | string[]

Channel to remove, or an array of channels. If null, then all channels will be removed.

windowIdentifier

WindowIdentifier

Name	Type	Description
`componentType`	string	optional The type of component
`uuid`	string	optional Optional uuid of a particular application process
`windowName`	string	The name of the physical HTML window, or a reference to a native window that was launched with Assimilation service
`windowType`	string	optional

cb

Function

optional

Optional. Callback to retrieve returned results asynchronously.

Example


FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.unlinkFromChannel("group1", null); // Unlink the current window from channel "group1"
FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.unlinkFromChannel("group1", windowIdentifier) // Unlink the requested window from channel "group1"

unsubscribe (dataType, cb)

Remove all listeners for the specified dataType.

Name	Type	Description
`dataType`	string	The data type to which the component is subscribed.
`cb`	Function	optional Optional. The function that was passed to subscribe. If not specified, all listeners will be deleted.

Example

FSBL.Clients.LinkerClient.unsubscribe("symbol");