Channels
6.13.0Channels are globally accessed named contexts that allow users to dynamically group apps, instructing them to work over the same shared data object. When apps are on the same Channel, they share a context data object which they can monitor and/or update.
The Channels API is accessible through the io.channels object.
APIobject
Description
Channels API.
Properties
| Property | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mode | OperationMode | "single" | Retrieves the current Channel mode (single or multi Channel). Set by the io.Connect framework based on configuration. Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.7 |
Methods
addmethod
Signature
(info: ChannelContext) => Promise<ChannelContext>
Description
Adds a new Channel.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| info | ChannelContext | Initial Channel context. |
allmethod
Signature
() => Promise<string[]>
Description
Retrieves a list of all Channel names.
clearChannelDatamethod
Signature
(channel?: string) => Promise<void>
Description
Clears the context data of the current Channel. The data property of the Channel context is set to an empty object. Pass a Channel name as an argument to clear the data of a specific Channel.
Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.8
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel | string | Name of the Channel whose context data to clear. |
getmethod
Signature
(name: string, options?: FDC3Options) => Promise<ChannelContext>
Description
Retrieves the context of a specified Channel.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| name | string | The name of the Channel whose context to retrieve. |
|
| options | FDC3Options | Settings for retrieving an FDC3 context published in the io.Connect Channel. Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.6. |
getMymethod
Signature
(options?: FDC3Options) => Promise<ChannelContext>
Description
Retrieves the context of the current Channel.
It's recommended to use the getMyChannels() method instead, which can retrieve the contexts of the currently joined Channels both in single and in multi Channel mode.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| options | FDC3Options | Settings for retrieving an FDC3 context published in the io.Connect Channel. Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.6. |
getMyChannelsmethod
Signature
(options?: FDC3Options) => Promise<ChannelContext[]>
Description
Retrieves a list with the contexts of the current Channels. Can be used both in single and in multi Channel mode. If used in single Channel mode, the returned array will always contain a single member if the window is joined to a Channel, or will be empty otherwise.
Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.7
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| options | FDC3Options |
getRestrictionsmethod
Signature
(windowId?: string) => Promise<Restrictions>
Description
Retrieves the restrictions applied to the current window for publishing or subscribing to Channels. Pass a window ID to retrieve the restrictions for the specified window.
Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.3
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| windowId | string | ID of the window for which to retrieve the applied restrictions for publishing or subscribing to Channels. |
getWindowsOnChannelmethod
Signature
(channel: string) => Promise<IOConnectWindow[]>
Description
Retrieves all windows on a specified Channel.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel | string |
getWindowsWithChannelsmethod
Signature
(filter?: WindowWithChannelFilter) => Promise<WindowOnChannelInfo[]>
Description
Retrieves all windows that can use Channels together with their current Channel.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| filter | WindowWithChannelFilter | Filter describing which windows to retrieve. If no filter is supplied, will return all windows that can use Channels. |
joinmethod
Signature
(name: string, windowId?: string) => Promise<void>
Description
Joins a new Channel by name. Leaves the current Channel.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| name | string | The name of the Channel to join. |
|
| windowId | string | ID of a window which to join to a Channel. If not provided, will join the current window to the specified Channel. |
leavemethod
Signature
(options?: string | { windowId?: string; channel?: string; }) => Promise<void>
Description
Removes the current or a specified window from the current or a specified Channel.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| options | string | { windowId?: string; channel?: string; } | Options for leaving Channels. You can provide only the window ID, or an object holding the window ID and the name of the Channel to leave. In either case, if only a window ID is provided, the specified window will be removed from the current Channel if in single Channel mode, or from all currently joined Channels if in multi Channel mode. If you provide only the name of the Channel to leave, the current window will be removed from the specified Channel. If you don't provide an argument, the current window will be removed from the current Channel if in single Channel mode, or from all currently joined Channels if in multi Channel mode. |
listmethod
mymethod
Signature
() => string
Description
Retrieves the name of the current Channel.
It's recommended to use the myChannels() method instead, which can retrieve the names of the currently joined Channels both in single and in multi Channel mode.
myChannelsmethod
Signature
() => string[]
Description
Retrieves a list with the names of the current Channels. Can be used both in single and in multi Channel mode. If used in single Channel mode, the returned array will always contain a single member if the window is joined to a Channel, or will be empty otherwise.
Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.7
onChangedmethod
Signature
(callback: (channel: string) => void) => () => void
Description
Notifies when the current window joins or leaves a Channel. Returns an unsubscribe function.
It's recommended to use the onChannelsChanged() method instead, which can handle Channel changes both in single and in multi Channel mode.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| callback | (channel: string) => void | Callback function for handling the event. Receives as an argument the name of the Channel which the window has joined or left. |
onChannelsChangedmethod
Signature
(callback: (channels: string[]) => void) => () => void
Description
Notifies when the current window joins or leaves a Channel. Can be used both in single and in multi Channel mode. If used in single Channel mode, when the window joins a Channel, the array argument passed to the callback for handling the event will always contain a single member; when the window leaves the current Channel, the array will be empty. Returns an unsubscribe function.
Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.7
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| callback | (channels: string[]) => void | Callback function for handling the event. Receives a list with the names of the currently joined Channels as an argument. |
publishmethod
Signature
(data: any, options?: string | PublishOptions) => Promise<void>
Description
Updates the context of the current or a specified Channel.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| data | any | Data object with which to update the Channel context. |
|
| options | string | PublishOptions | The name of the Channel to update, or an object containing the name of the Channel to update and a flag indicating whether the published data is an FDC3 context. If no options are provided, the current Channel will be updated. |
removemethod
Signature
(channel: string) => Promise<void>
Description
Removes a Channel.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| channel | string | The name of the Channel to remove. |
restrictmethod
Signature
(restrictions: ChannelRestrictions) => Promise<void>
Description
Prevents or allows the current or another window to publish or subscribe to a specific Channel.
Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.3
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| restrictions | ChannelRestrictions | Restrictions for publishing or subscribing to a specific Channel. |
restrictAllmethod
Signature
(restrictions: RestrictionsConfig) => Promise<void>
Description
Prevents or allows the current or another window to publish or subscribe to all Channels.
Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.3
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| restrictions | RestrictionsConfig | Restrictions for publishing or subscribing to all Channels. |
setPathmethod
Signature
(path: PathValue, name?: string) => Promise<void>
Description
Sets a specified path within the Channel context to the provided value. If the path doesn't exist, it will be created.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| path | PathValue | Object containing the path to update and the value with which to update it. The path must be specified as a dot-separated string (e.g., |
|
| name | string | Name of the Channel to update. If not specified, will update the current Channel. |
setPathsmethod
Signature
(paths: PathValue[], name?: string) => Promise<void>
Description
Sets a list of specified paths within the Channel context to the provided values. If a path doesn't exist, it will be created.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| paths | PathValue[] | List of objects each containing a path to update and the value with which to update it. The path must be specified as a dot-separated string (e.g., |
|
| name | string | Name of the Channel to update. If not specified, will update the current Channel. |
subscribemethod
Signature
(callback: (data: any, context: ChannelContext, updaterId: string) => void, options?: FDC3Options) => () => void
Description
Subscribes for data updates of the current Channel. Persisted after a Channel change. Returns an unsubscribe function.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| callback | (data: any, context: ChannelContext, updaterId: string) => void | Callback function for handling the received data. The callback receives as arguments the updated Channel data, the current Channel context and the ID of the updating app instance. |
|
| options | FDC3Options | Settings for subscribing to an FDC3 context published in the io.Connect Channel. Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.6. |
subscribeFormethod
Signature
(name: string, callback: (data: any, context: ChannelContext, updaterId: string) => void, options?: FDC3Options) => Promise<() => void>
Description
Subscribes for data updates of a specified Channel. Resolves with an unsubscribe function.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| name | string | The Channel to which to subscribe. |
|
| callback | (data: any, context: ChannelContext, updaterId: string) => void | Callback function for handling the received data. The callback receives as arguments the updated Channel data, the current Channel context and the ID of the updating app instance. |
|
| options | FDC3Options | Settings for subscribing to an FDC3 context published in the io.Connect Channel. Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.6. |
ChannelContextobject
Description
Describes a Channel context.
Properties
| Property | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| data | { [key: string]: any; fdc3?: FDC3Context; } | Channel context data. |
||
| meta | any | Channel meta data (display name, color, image and more). |
||
| name | string | Unique name of the Channel context. |
ChannelRestrictionsobject
Description
Restrictions applied to a window for publishing or subscribing to a specific Channel.
Properties
| Property | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | string | Name of the Channel for which the restrictions apply. |
||
| read | boolean | If |
||
| windowId | string | ID of the window for which apply the restrictions for publishing or subscribing to Channels. |
||
| write | boolean | If |
Configurationobject
Description
Settings for the Channels API.
Properties
| Property | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| enabled | boolean | false | If |
FDC3Contextobject
Properties
| Property | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| id | { [key: string]: any; } | Context data objects may contain equivalent key-value pairs for identifying and looking up context types, with optional identifiers to support various applications, though some types may require at least one identifier. |
||
| name | string | Context data objects may include a "name" property for additional information or display, with some derived types making it mandatory based on the use case. |
||
| type | string | Required field in the FDC3 context data schema, essential for routing context data and for intent discovery within the FDC3 ecosystem. |
FDC3Optionsobject
Description
Settings for retrieving and subscribing for FDC3 contexts published in an io.Connect Channel.
Available since io.Connect Desktop 9.6Properties
| Property | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| contextType | string | Type of the FDC3 context to retrieve or to which to subscribe. |
PublishOptionsobject
Description
Options for updating a Channel context with the publish() method.
Properties
| Property | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| fdc3 | boolean | Flag indicating whether the published data is an FDC3 context. If so, it must contain a required |
||
| name | string | The name of the Channel to update. If not provided, the current Channel will be updated. |
Restrictionsobject
Description
All restrictions applied to a window for publishing or subscribing to Channels.
Properties
| Property | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| channels | ChannelRestrictions[] | List of restrictions for publishing or subscribing to Channels. |
RestrictionsConfigobject
Description
Restrictions applied to a window for publishing or subscribing to all Channels.
Properties
| Property | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| read | boolean | If |
||
| windowId | string | ID of the window for which apply the restrictions for publishing or subscribing to Channels. |
||
| write | boolean | If |
WindowOnChannelInfoobject
Description
Describes an io.Connect Window that can use Channels.
Properties
| Property | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| application | string | The name of the app of which the io.Connect Window is an instance. |
||
| channel | string | The current Channel of the io.Connect Window. May be |
||
| window | IOConnectWindow | The io.Connect Window object. |
WindowWithChannelFilterobject
Description
Filter that will be applied when looking for io.Connect Windows that can use Channels.
Properties
| Property | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| application | string | Will retrieve only io.Connect Windows that are instances of the specified app. |
||
| channels | string[] | Will retrieve all io.Connect Windows that are on the specified list of Channels. |
||
| windowIds | string[] | IDs of io.Connect Windows which to retrieve. |