Skip to content

json-rpc

Directory actions

More options

Directory actions

More options

Latest commit

 

History

History

json-rpc

README.md

@objectql/protocol-json-rpc

JSON-RPC 2.0 Protocol Plugin for ObjectStack

Overview

This plugin provides full JSON-RPC 2.0 specification compliance for ObjectStack applications. It exposes ObjectStack data and metadata through a remote procedure call interface with built-in introspection support.

Features

  • ✅ JSON-RPC 2.0 Compliant - Full specification support
  • ✅ Batch Requests - Execute multiple RPC calls in a single request
  • ✅ Notifications - Support for requests without response
  • ✅ Introspection - Discover available methods and signatures
  • ✅ CRUD Operations - Full data manipulation support
  • ✅ Metadata Access - Query object schemas and configurations
  • ✅ Action Execution - Execute custom actions
  • ✅ CORS Support - Configurable Cross-Origin Resource Sharing
  • ✅ No Direct DB Access - All operations through ObjectStackRuntimeProtocol

Installation

pnpm add @objectql/protocol-json-rpc

Usage

Basic Setup

import { ObjectKernel } from '@objectstack/runtime';
import { JSONRPCPlugin } from '@objectql/protocol-json-rpc';

const kernel = new ObjectKernel([
  new JSONRPCPlugin({
    port: 9000,
    basePath: '/rpc',
    enableCORS: true,
    enableIntrospection: true
  })
]);

await kernel.start();

Configuration Options

interface JSONRPCPluginConfig {
  /** Port to listen on (default: 9000) */
  port?: number;
  
  /** Base path for JSON-RPC endpoint (default: '/rpc') */
  basePath?: string;
  
  /** Enable CORS (default: true) */
  enableCORS?: boolean;
  
  /** Enable introspection methods (default: true) */
  enableIntrospection?: boolean;
  
  /** Enable session management (default: true) */
  enableSessions?: boolean;
  
  /** Session timeout in milliseconds (default: 30 minutes) */
  sessionTimeout?: number;
  
  /** Enable progress notifications via SSE (default: true) */
  enableProgress?: boolean;
  
  /** Enable method call chaining in batch requests (default: true) */
  enableChaining?: boolean;
}

Available Methods

Object Methods

object.find

Find multiple records.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "object.find",
  "params": ["users", {"where": {"active": true}}],
  "id": 1
}

Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": {
    "value": [
      {"id": "1", "name": "Alice", "email": "alice@example.com"},
      {"id": "2", "name": "Bob", "email": "bob@example.com"}
    ],
    "count": 2
  },
  "id": 1
}

object.get

Get a single record by ID.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "object.get",
  "params": ["users", "123"],
  "id": 2
}

object.create

Create a new record.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "object.create",
  "params": ["users", {"name": "Charlie", "email": "charlie@example.com"}],
  "id": 3
}

object.update

Update an existing record.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "object.update",
  "params": ["users", "123", {"name": "Charlie Updated"}],
  "id": 4
}

object.delete

Delete a record.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "object.delete",
  "params": ["users", "123"],
  "id": 5
}

object.count

Count records matching filters.

Request (no filter - count all):

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "object.count",
  "params": ["users"],
  "id": 6
}

Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": 42,
  "id": 6
}

Request (with filter):

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "object.count",
  "params": ["users", {
    "type": "comparison",
    "field": "active",
    "operator": "=",
    "value": true
  }],
  "id": 7
}

Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": 28,
  "id": 7
}

Request (with complex filter):

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "object.count",
  "params": ["users", {
    "type": "logical",
    "operator": "and",
    "conditions": [
      {
        "type": "comparison",
        "field": "active",
        "operator": "=",
        "value": true
      },
      {
        "type": "comparison",
        "field": "role",
        "operator": "=",
        "value": "admin"
      }
    ]
  }],
  "id": 8
}

Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": 5,
  "id": 8
}

Metadata Methods

metadata.list

List all registered object types.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "metadata.list",
  "id": 7
}

Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": ["users", "projects", "tasks"],
  "id": 7
}

metadata.get

Get metadata for a specific object.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "metadata.get",
  "params": ["users"],
  "id": 8
}

metadata.getAll

Get all metadata items of a specific type.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "metadata.getAll",
  "params": ["object"],
  "id": 9
}

Action Methods

action.execute

Execute a custom action.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "action.execute",
  "params": ["sendEmail", {"to": "user@example.com", "subject": "Hello"}],
  "id": 10
}

Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": {
    "success": true,
    "messageId": "msg_1234567890",
    "to": "user@example.com",
    "subject": "Hello"
  },
  "id": 10
}

Example: Calculate Discount

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "action.execute",
  "params": ["calculateDiscount", {
    "amount": 100,
    "percentage": 20
  }],
  "id": 11
}

Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": {
    "originalAmount": 100,
    "discountPercentage": 20,
    "discountAmount": 20,
    "finalAmount": 80
  },
  "id": 11
}

Error Response (action not found):

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "error": {
    "code": -32603,
    "message": "Action not found: unknownAction"
  },
  "id": 12
}

action.list

List all available actions.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "action.list",
  "id": 13
}

Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": [
    "sendEmail",
    "calculateDiscount",
    "processPayment",
    "generateReport"
  ],
  "id": 13
}

System Methods (Introspection)

system.listMethods

List all available RPC methods.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "system.listMethods",
  "id": 12
}

Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": [
    "object.find",
    "object.get",
    "object.create",
    "metadata.list",
    "system.listMethods"
  ],
  "id": 12
}

system.describe

Get method signature and description.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "system.describe",
  "params": ["object.find"],
  "id": 13
}

Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": {
    "description": "Find multiple records",
    "params": [
      {"name": "objectName", "type": "string", "required": true},
      {"name": "query", "type": "object", "required": false}
    ],
    "returns": {"type": "object", "properties": ["value", "count"]}
  },
  "id": 13
}

Advanced Features

Batch Requests (JSON-RPC 2.0 §6)

Execute multiple RPC calls in a single HTTP request. Per JSON-RPC 2.0 specification section 6, batch requests allow you to send an array of request objects and receive an array of response objects.

Basic Batch Request

Request:

[
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "metadata.list",
    "id": 1
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "object.find",
    "params": ["users", {}],
    "id": 2
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "object.count",
    "params": ["users"],
    "id": 3
  }
]

Response:

[
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": ["users", "projects"],
    "id": 1
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": [
      {"id": "1", "name": "Alice"},
      {"id": "2", "name": "Bob"}
    ],
    "id": 2
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": 2,
    "id": 3
  }
]

Batch with Mixed Operations

Execute CRUD operations, counts, and actions in a single batch:

Request:

[
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "object.create",
    "params": ["products", {"name": "Laptop", "price": 999}],
    "id": 1
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "object.count",
    "params": ["products"],
    "id": 2
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "action.execute",
    "params": ["sendEmail", {"to": "admin@example.com", "subject": "New Product"}],
    "id": 3
  }
]

Response:

[
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": {"id": "prod-123", "name": "Laptop", "price": 999},
    "id": 1
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": 42,
    "id": 2
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": {"success": true, "messageId": "msg_123"},
    "id": 3
  }
]

Batch with Notifications

Requests without an id are notifications and don't return responses:

Request:

[
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "object.count",
    "params": ["users"],
    "id": 1
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "action.execute",
    "params": ["logEvent", {"event": "user_login"}]
    // No id - this is a notification
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "metadata.list",
    "id": 2
  }
]

Response:

[
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": 100,
    "id": 1
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": ["users", "products"],
    "id": 2
  }
]

Note: Only 2 responses because the notification (no id) doesn't return a response.

Batch with Partial Errors

Individual requests can fail without affecting other requests in the batch:

Request:

[
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "object.count",
    "params": ["users"],
    "id": 1
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "object.get",
    "params": ["users", "non-existent-id"],
    "id": 2
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "metadata.list",
    "id": 3
  }
]

Response:

[
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": 100,
    "id": 1
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": null,
    "id": 2
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": ["users", "products"],
    "id": 3
  }
]

Call Chaining in Batch Requests

When enableChaining is enabled, you can reference results from previous requests in the same batch using the $N.result.path syntax, where N is the request ID.

Example: Create a user and then fetch it

[
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "object.create",
    "params": ["users", {"name": "Alice", "email": "alice@example.com"}],
    "id": 1
  },
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "object.get",
    "params": ["users", "$1.result._id"],
    "id": 2
  }
]

In this example:

  • Request 1 creates a new user
  • Request 2 references the _id from the result of request 1 using $1.result._id

Complex Reference Example:

[
  {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "object.create",
    "params": ["projects", {"name": "New Project", "owner": "$1.result._id"}],
    "id": 3
  }
]

Reference Syntax:

  • $N.result - References the entire result of request N
  • $N.result.fieldName - References a specific field
  • $N.result.nested.field - References nested fields
  • Works with arrays and objects in parameters

Server-Sent Events (SSE) Progress Notifications

For long-running operations, you can receive real-time progress updates via Server-Sent Events.

Connecting to Progress Stream:

const sessionId = 'your-session-id';
const eventSource = new EventSource(`http://localhost:9000/rpc/progress/${sessionId}`);

eventSource.addEventListener('message', (event) => {
  const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
  
  if (data.type === 'connected') {
    console.log('Connected to progress stream');
  } else if (data.method === 'progress.update') {
    const { id, progress, total, message } = data.params;
    console.log(`Operation ${id}: ${progress}/${total} - ${message}`);
  }
});

eventSource.addEventListener('error', (error) => {
  console.error('SSE connection error:', error);
});

Progress Notification Format:

The notification follows JSON-RPC 2.0 format but without the id field (as it's a notification):

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "progress.update",
  "params": {
    "id": "operation-123",
    "progress": 50,
    "total": 100,
    "message": "Processing item 50 of 100"
  }
}

Note: The complete SSE message includes the data: prefix and double newline:

data: {"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"progress.update","params":{...}}

Example: Batch Import with Progress

// 1. Start the batch import
const response = await fetch('http://localhost:9000/rpc', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    jsonrpc: '2.0',
    method: 'object.batchImport',
    params: ['users', usersData],
    id: 1
  })
});

// 2. Connect to progress stream (if operation returns a session ID)
const result = await response.json();
const sessionId = result.result.sessionId;

const eventSource = new EventSource(`http://localhost:9000/rpc/progress/${sessionId}`);
eventSource.addEventListener('message', (event) => {
  const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
  if (data.method === 'progress.update') {
    updateProgressBar(data.params.progress, data.params.total);
  }
});

Features:

  • ✅ Real-time progress updates for long-running operations
  • ✅ Multiple clients can subscribe to the same session
  • ✅ Automatic heartbeat to keep connection alive
  • ✅ Graceful handling of client disconnections
  • ✅ Session-based progress tracking

Notifications

Requests without an id field are treated as notifications and don't receive a response.

Request:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "log.info",
  "params": ["User logged in"]
}

No response is sent for notifications.

Error Codes

JSON-RPC 2.0 standard error codes:

Code Message Meaning
-32700 Parse error Invalid JSON
-32600 Invalid Request Not JSON-RPC 2.0 format
-32601 Method not found Method doesn't exist
-32602 Invalid params Invalid method parameters
-32603 Internal error Server error

Error Response Example:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "error": {
    "code": -32601,
    "message": "Method not found: unknown.method"
  },
  "id": 1
}

Architecture

This plugin follows the ObjectStack protocol plugin pattern:

  1. RuntimePlugin Interface - Implements the standard plugin lifecycle
  2. ObjectStackRuntimeProtocol Bridge - Uses the protocol bridge for all kernel interactions
  3. No Direct DB Access - All data operations through the bridge layer
  4. Lifecycle Management - Proper initialization and cleanup
export class JSONRPCPlugin implements RuntimePlugin {
  async install(ctx: RuntimeContext) {
    // Initialize protocol bridge
    this.protocol = new ObjectStackRuntimeProtocol(ctx.engine);
    // Register RPC methods
    this.registerMethods();
  }

  async onStart(ctx: RuntimeContext) {
    // Start HTTP server
  }

  async onStop(ctx: RuntimeContext) {
    // Stop HTTP server
  }
}

Examples

See the multi-protocol-server example for a complete working example.

License

MIT