NodeJS Alternative For Android

Question

I have visited many blogs and questions looking for a way to use android as a client and nodejs as a server for my app. I came up with a solution that is to use PhoneGap like frameworks so that it could act like native but is not in reality. I need to use native android sdk and connect with NodeJS server (using SocketIO) to create my app. Is there any way I could do this?

PS I want to know that while I set up by GCM can I pass my IP and port that I have created in my socket.io file to the GCM?

Answer 1

Cordova (hence PhoneGap) allows you to use most of the hardware APIs. PhoneGap nowadays is just a build service of some sorts.

The Cordova website and plugin store explain all the details. But t WebSockets are just an upgraded protocol or feature of TCP. Any newer technology supports it without any dependencies, but in dependence of the network you're traveling in.

Without diving deep into the code here at socket.io-website , I reckon that the initial build of your Cordova app is a WebSocket implementation to the server. So you got everything bootstrapped already. What this tutorial doesn't explain is how to connect to the server. But read it up here .

I have no prior experience but Google Cloud Messaging seems not to be in the scope of the problem of socket.io. Once you have a connection to the socket you can send to the client whatever payload you want and might or might not need GCM anymore. If you need to send stuff via GCM read up on the the GCM node module .

Passing IPs around shouldn't be much of a problem since you're are running a public service anyway. You'd need to secure it anyhow of course.