the-p2p-web

APIs

• NetworkStats - methods and properties to monitor data usage. e.g. type of network which is providing internet to us now (data or wifi)
  • available via mozNetworkStatsManager
• NFC - not strictly network based but can transmit data!
• TCPSocket. TCP transmissions are reliable, ordered and error-checked.
  • Accessible via mozTCPSocket
  • API docs
• UDPSocket. UDP transmissions emphasise reduced latency over reliability so no error-checking, in contrast with TCP.
  • Accessible via UDPSocket, but totally undocumented :-(
  • WebIDL
  • Related bugs
    • 745283 - Expose a client UDP datagram socket API to web applications -- all attachments with test cases are somewhat hidden here
    • 1152283 - Repeated use of UDPSocket without calling close() end up restarting Gaia
• WebSockets: send messages to a server and receive event-driven responses without having to poll the server for a reply.
  • API docs
  • Documentation
  • fxos-websocket-server an early implementation of a Web Sockets server for Firefox OS
• WiFi information via the navigator.mozWifiManager object
  • API docs
• Wifi Direct via the WifiP2pManager object
  • WiFi Direct wikipedia article, good overview.
  • Bug 811635 - B2G Wifi: Support Wifi Direct
  • WebIDL
  • (incomplete) API docs
  • Blog post
  • Examples
    • firedrop - share files with devices nearby
    • Who is around? - Discover devices and services around you in a fun way
    • Wifi Columns - emulator running Columns game, p2p players without internet connection
• Mesh network - allows devices to join / set up a network without user intervention
  • Bug 1066709 "Support public adhoc/mesh on FxOS (Flame)" - it's work in progress

Libraries

• dns-sd.js - announcing and discovering services via multicast DNS. Firefox OS only (?)
• p2p-helper.js - utility for simplifying peer-to-peer connections in Firefox OS
• fxos-web-server
  • blog post
  • Firedrop - a portable flash drive app for sharing files with nearby users, without Internet connection, using WiFi direct.
  • sharing -- app for discovering and sharing apps
• The p2p Web - Unicorns
  • Proposal

Usual examples

• Echo protocol

Sample / demo apps

• networkInfo - show currently connected wi-fi network plus IP address and network security scheme
• the disconnected ensemble - shareable offline music toys (slides)