WebSocket Multi-Path Server and Client Example

This project demonstrates a simple Node.js WebSocket server and client setup where multiple WebSocket resource paths (e.g., /chat, /updates, /notifications) are handled separately.
It uses the lightweight ws library without any frameworks.

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📂 Project Structure

.
├── server.js   # Node.js WebSocket Server handling multiple paths
└── client.js   # Node.js WebSocket Client connecting to different paths

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🚀 Features

• Handle multiple WebSocket paths (/chat, /updates, /notifications)
• Clean separation of concerns per path
• Sends welcome message to client upon connection (e.g., "Connected to WebSocket resource: /chat")
• Full error handling for:
  • Connection errors
  • Unexpected server responses
  • Message send failures
  • Socket closures
• 404 handling for invalid paths
• Clear console logging for all important events
• Simple and minimal, ideal for learning or extending

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🛠️ Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/charithjayasanka/simple-websocket-multipath.git
   cd simple-websocket-multipath

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install ws

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📜 Usage

Start the WebSocket server

node server.js

The server will start listening on ws://localhost:8080.

Start the WebSocket client

node client.js

The client will connect to:

• ws://localhost:8080/chat
• ws://localhost:8080/updates
• ws://localhost:8080/notifications

and exchange simple test messages.

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🖥️ Example Output

Server Console:

🚀 Server listening on port 8080
🔄 Incoming WebSocket upgrade request: /updates
✅ New connection on /updates from ::ffff:127.0.0.1
🔄 Incoming WebSocket upgrade request: /chat
✅ New connection on /chat from ::ffff:127.0.0.1
🔄 Incoming WebSocket upgrade request: /notifications
✅ New connection on /notifications from ::ffff:127.0.0.1
📩 Message on /updates: Hello /updates!
📩 Message on /chat: Hello /chat!
📩 Message on /notifications: Hello /notifications!

Client Console:

✅ Connected to /updates
📩 Received from /updates: 🟢 Connected to WebSocket resource: /updates
✅ Connected to /chat
📩 Received from /chat: 🟢 Connected to WebSocket resource: /chat
✅ Connected to /notifications
📩 Received from /notifications: 🟢 Connected to WebSocket resource: /notifications
📩 Received from /updates: Echo from /updates: Hello /updates!
📩 Received from /chat: Echo from /chat: Hello /chat!
📩 Received from /notifications: Echo from /notifications: Hello /notifications!

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⚠️ Important Notes

• If you connect to an unknown path (e.g., /invalid), the server will respond with a 404 Not Found and destroy the socket.
• This project uses the bare WebSocket API (ws) — no Socket.IO or other abstractions.
• This project is intentionally minimal and can be extended for production-grade features (e.g., authentication, rooms, broadcasting).

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📚 Related Links

• Node.js WebSocket API (ws)
• WebSocket Protocol Specification (RFC 6455)

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❤️ Contributions

Contributions, issues, and feature requests are welcome!
Feel free to open a pull request or an issue if you find a bug or want to suggest an improvement.

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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🚀 Happy WebSocket-ing!