tjanczuk/edge-connect

Implement node.js express handlers and connect middleware in .NET using OWIN

owin-connect

Implement node.js express handlers and connect middleware in .NET using OWIN

The lay of the land

This module has a package.json dependency on the [email protected] module which provides basic .NET to node.js interop mechanisms.

The src\Owin.Connect directory contains a C# library project that implements an OWIN HTTP server. The server implements two functions: Configure and Invoke. The Configure is responsible for loading and configuring an OWIN .NET application. This is where all the patterns of OWIN OM would need to be implemented. The Invoke is responsible for processing a single HTTP request using one of the previously loaded OWIN .NET applications, normalized to Func<IDictionary<string,object>,Task> form.

Both Configure and Invoke are exposed to node.js using the fundational capabilities of owin. The lib\owin-connect.js calls these functions from node.js. The lib\owin-connect.js exports a function that is a factory of connect middleware. The function takes the name of the OWIN .NET assembly file as a parameter, and passes it (along with other optional parameters) to the Configure method of the OWIN HTTP server.

Building

The Owin.Connect library needs to be built first. Once we arrive in a stable place, a binary will be checked into git to make consuming owin-connect easier.

From a VS 2012 command prompt, go to the root of the project and

msbuild src\Owin.Connect\Owin.Connect.sln
set OWIN_CONNECT_NATIVE=C:\projects\owin-connect\src\Owin.Connect\bin\Debug\Owin.Connect.dll

The OWIN_CONNECT_NATIVE must be set to the location of the built Owin.Connect.dll. The owin-connect.js will use that location if specified. This is helpful during development and required until a stable binary is checked into the repo.

Running the sample

You need Windows, node.js 0.8.x (tested with 0.8.19), and .NET 4.5 along with VS 2012 toolset for building.

Assuming the project was git-cloned and built, run this from the VS 2012 command prompt from the root of the project:

npm install
cs samples\hello
npm install express
build.bat
node server.js

The go to http://localhost:3000/node. This should display a message from an express handler in node.js.

If you go to http://localhost:3000/net, you should see a similar message from the .NET OWIN application in Owin.Samples.dll plugged in as a handler to the express pipeline.