7.8 KiB
SignalR Client
Client-side SignalR transport with custom binary protocol and tag-based dispatch. Source: SignalRs/ in this project.
For server-side hub, session, broadcast see
AyCode.Services.Server/docs/SIGNALR_SERVER.md. For the DataSource collection seeAyCode.Services.Server/docs/SIGNALR_DATASOURCE.md.
Design Overview
All communication flows through a single hub method with tag-based dispatch:
Client ──OnReceiveMessage(tag, bytes, requestId)──► Server
Client ◄──OnReceiveMessage(tag, bytes, requestId)── Server
OnReceiveMessage is the only transport channel — all calls go through it. The tag (int) determines which server method to invoke. Projects call any endpoint by specifying the tag; the server dispatches accordingly.
Client side: Server side:
───────────────────── ─────────────────────
AcSignalRClientBase AcWebSignalRHubBase<TTags, TLogger>
├─ HubConnection (WebSocket) ├─ Hub<IAcSignalRHubItemServer>
├─ AcBinaryHubProtocol ├─ DynamicMethodRegistry
├─ Pending request tracking ├─ Parameter deserialization
└─ Response callbacks └─ Broadcast to other clients
Tag System
Tag Definition
AyCode.Core defines only the base class and built-in infrastructure tags:
public class AcSignalRTags
{
public const int None = 0;
public const int PingTag = 90001;
public const int EchoTag = 90002;
}
Consuming projects define their own tags by inheriting AcSignalRTags:
public abstract class MyProjectTags : AcSignalRTags
{
public const int GetOrders = 100;
public const int GetOrderById = 101;
public const int SaveOrder = 102;
}
Tags are plain int constants. The project decides the numbering. Tags must be unique across all registered services within a hub.
Tag Attributes
Three attribute levels:
// Base: maps an integer tag to a method
[Tag(42)]
// Server method: tag + optional broadcast behavior
[SignalR(messageTag: 100, sendToOtherClientTag: 100, sendToOtherClientType: SendToClientType.Others)]
// Client receive: marks method for server→client dispatch
[SignalRSendToClient(100)]
SendToClientType: None (no broadcast), Others (all except caller), Caller (response only), All (everyone).
How Projects Use Tags
Projects call the SignalR transport directly — not only through DataSource:
var orders = await signalRClient.PostAsync<List<Order>>(MyTags.GetOrders, companyId);
var order = await signalRClient.GetByIdAsync<Order>(MyTags.GetOrderById, orderId);
await signalRClient.PostDataAsync(MyTags.SaveOrder, order);
// Async callback (non-blocking)
await signalRClient.PostDataAsync(MyTags.SaveOrder, order, async response => { ... });
// Fire-and-forget
await signalRClient.PostDataAsync(MyTags.SaveOrder, order, response => { ... });
The CRUD helpers (PostAsync, GetByIdAsync, GetAllAsync, PostDataAsync) are all generic transport methods that work with any tag — they are not tied to DataSource.
Wire Protocol
AcBinaryHubProtocol
Custom IHubProtocol (name: "acbinary"), replaces default JSON. Frame format:
[4 bytes: payload length, little-endian] [1 byte: message type] [payload...]
Message types: Invocation(1), StreamItem(2), Completion(3), Ping(6), Close(7), Ack(8), Sequence(9).
Arguments serialized individually with VarUInt length prefix. Direct write to IBufferWriter via BufferWriterBinaryOutput.
Response Message
SignalResponseDataMessage carries:
| Field | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
MessageTag |
int | Tag identifying the operation |
Status |
SignalResponseStatus | Success/Error |
ResponseData |
byte[] | Binary-serialized payload (or GZip+JSON fallback) |
DataSerializerType |
AcSerializerType | Binary or Json |
Binary mode (default): AcBinarySerializer.ToBinary(data) → raw bytes.
JSON fallback: ToJson(data) → GzipHelper.Compress(json) → bytes.
Request/Response Flow
Client → Server
1. PostAsync<T>(tag, postData) or PostDataAsync(tag, data, callback)
2. CreatePostMessage(postData):
├─ Primitives/strings/enums/value types → IdMessage (JSON array of serialized values)
└─ Complex objects → SignalPostJsonDataMessage<T> ⚠️ tech debt: JSON-in-Binary
3. SerializeToBinary(message) wraps in Binary envelope
4. HubConnection.SendAsync("OnReceiveMessage", tag, bytes, requestId)
5. AcBinaryHubProtocol frames it on the wire
Server → Client
13. Client.OnReceiveMessage(tag, bytes, requestId)
14. Has matching requestId in pending ConcurrentDictionary?
├─ YES (response to own request):
│ 15. DeserializeFromBinary<SignalResponseDataMessage>(bytes)
│ 16. Route based on pending request type:
│ ├─ null (sync wait) → set ResponseByRequestId, WaitToAsync completes
│ ├─ Action<SignalResponseDataMessage> → invoke directly
│ └─ Func<SignalResponseDataMessage, Task> → invoke and await
│ 17. GetResponseData<T>():
│ ├─ Binary: ResponseData.BinaryTo<T>()
│ └─ JSON: GzipDecompress → AcJsonDeserializer.Deserialize<T>()
│
└─ NO (broadcast from another client's action):
18. abstract MessageReceived(tag, bytes).Forget()
└─ Consuming project overrides to handle server push
Broadcast receive: When the server broadcasts to Others/All, receiving clients have no matching requestId. The message falls through to MessageReceived(int messageTag, byte[] messageBytes) — an abstract method the consuming project overrides.
Request model pooling: SignalRRequestModel instances are managed via SignalRRequestModelPool (ObjectPool + IResettable) to avoid allocations per request.
Response Patterns
| Pattern | Method | Blocking |
|---|---|---|
| Sync wait | PostAsync<T>(tag, data) |
Yes, polls up to TransportSendTimeout (60s) |
| Async callback | PostDataAsync(tag, data, async msg => {...}) |
No, Func<SignalResponseDataMessage, Task> |
| Fire-and-forget | PostDataAsync(tag, data, msg => {...}) |
No, Action<SignalResponseDataMessage> |
Connection Lifecycle
Client configuration:
- Transport: WebSockets only (
SkipNegotiation = true) - Buffer: 30MB transport + 30MB application
- Reconnection:
WithAutomaticReconnect()+WithStatefulReconnect() - Keepalive: 60s interval, 180s server timeout
Diagnostics
Enable with AcSignalRClientBase.EnableBinaryDiagnostics = true.
Logs: hex dump (500 byte sample), header parsing (version, marker), property count + names via VarUInt reading.
Known Technical Debt
JSON-in-Binary request parameters: Client→server requests currently wrap parameters in JSON inside the binary envelope (SignalPostJsonDataMessage). This adds an unnecessary serialization round-trip. Responses are already pure binary. Do NOT attempt to fix as a side effect — requires coordinated changes across all consuming projects.
Key Source Files
| Component | Path |
|---|---|
| Client base | SignalRs/AcSignalRClientBase.cs |
| Binary protocol | SignalRs/AcBinaryHubProtocol.cs |
| Tag attributes | SignalRs/SignalMessageTagAttribute.cs |
| Base tags | SignalRs/AcSignalRTags.cs |
| CRUD tags | SignalRs/SignalRCrudTags.cs |
| SendToClientType | SignalRs/SendToClientType.cs |
| Message types | SignalRs/IAcSignalRHubClient.cs |
| Serialization | SignalRs/SignalRSerializationHelper.cs |