WebSocket VB.NET Reference Documentation

WebSocket

Current Version: 9.5.0.97

Provides an API for implementing the client side of the WebSocket protocol.

Object Creation

Dim obj As New Chilkat.WebSocket()

Properties

CloseAutoRespond
CloseAutoRespond As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

If True, then a Close control frame is automatically sent in response to receiving a Close control frame (assuming that we did not initiate the Close in the first place). When the Close frame has both been received and sent, the underlying connection is automatically closed (as per the WebSocket protocol RFC specifications). Thus, if this property is True, then two things automatically happen when a Close frame is received: (1) a Close frame is sent in response, and (2) the connection is closed.

The default value of this property is True.

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CloseReason
CloseReason As String (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

The reason string received with the Close frame, if any.

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CloseReceived
CloseReceived As Boolean (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

If True, then a Close frame was already received on this websocket connection. If CloseAutoRespond is False, then an application can check this property value to determine if a Close frame should be sent in response.

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CloseStatusCode
CloseStatusCode As Integer (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

The status code received with the Close frame. If no status code was provided, or no Close frame has yet been received, then this property will be 0.

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DebugLogFilePath
DebugLogFilePath As String

If set to a file path, causes each Chilkat method or property call to automatically append it's LastErrorText to the specified log file. The information is appended such that if a hang or crash occurs, it is possible to see the context in which the problem occurred, as well as a history of all Chilkat calls up to the point of the problem. The VerboseLogging property can be set to provide more detailed information.

This property is typically used for debugging the rare cases where a Chilkat method call hangs or generates an exception that halts program execution (i.e. crashes). A hang or crash should generally never happen. The typical causes of a hang are:

  1. a timeout related property was set to 0 to explicitly indicate that an infinite timeout is desired,
  2. the hang is actually a hang within an event callback (i.e. it is a hang within the application code), or
  3. there is an internal problem (bug) in the Chilkat code that causes the hang.

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FinalFrame
FinalFrame As Boolean (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

True if the last data frame received by calling ReadFrame was a final frame. Otherwise False.

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FrameDataLen
FrameDataLen As Integer (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

The number of bytes accumulated from one or more calls to ReadFrame. Accumulated incoming frame data can be retrieved by calling GetFrameData, GetFrameDataSb, or GetFrameDataBd.

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FrameOpcode
FrameOpcode As String (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Indicates the type of frame received in the last call to ReadFrame. Possible values are "Continuation", "Text", "Binary", "Close", "Ping", or "Pong". Initially this property is set to the empty string because nothing has yet been received.

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FrameOpcodeInt
FrameOpcodeInt As Integer (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

The integer value of the opcode (type of frame) received in the last call to ReadFrame. Possible values are:

0 - Continuation
1 - Text
2 - Binary
8 - Close
9 - Ping
10 - Pong

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HeartbeatMs
HeartbeatMs As Integer
Introduced in version 9.5.0.97

The time interval, in milliseconds, between AbortCheck event callbacks. The heartbeat provides a means for an application to monitor a method call that has event callbacks, and to abort it while in progress.

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IdleTimeoutMs
IdleTimeoutMs As Integer

The maximum amount of time to wait for additional incoming data when receiving, or the max time to wait to send additional data. The default value is 30000 (30 seconds). This is not an overall max timeout. Rather, it is the maximum time to wait when receiving or sending has halted.

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IsConnected
IsConnected As Boolean (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Returns True if the websocket is connected. Otherwise returns False.

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LastErrorHtml
LastErrorHtml As String (ReadOnly)

Provides information in HTML format about the last method/property called. If a method call returns a value indicating failure, or behaves unexpectedly, examine this property to get more information.

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LastErrorText
LastErrorText As String (ReadOnly)

Provides information in plain-text format about the last method/property called. If a method call returns a value indicating failure, or behaves unexpectedly, examine this property to get more information.

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LastErrorXml
LastErrorXml As String (ReadOnly)

Provides information in XML format about the last method/property called. If a method call returns a value indicating failure, or behaves unexpectedly, examine this property to get more information.

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LastMethodSuccess
LastMethodSuccess As Boolean

Indicate whether the last method call succeeded or failed. A value of True indicates success, a value of False indicates failure. This property is automatically set for method calls. It is not modified by property accesses. The property is automatically set to indicate success for the following types of method calls:

  • Any method that returns a string.
  • Any method returning a Chilkat object, binary bytes, or a date/time.
  • Any method returning a standard boolean status value where success = True and failure = False.
  • Any method returning an integer where failure is defined by a return value less than zero.

Note: Methods that do not fit the above requirements will always set this property equal to True. For example, a method that returns no value (such as a "void" in C++) will technically always succeed.

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NeedSendPong
NeedSendPong As Boolean (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

If True, then a Ping frame was received, but no Pong frame has yet been sent in response. The application should send a Pong frame by calling SendPong as soon as possible.

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PingAutoRespond
PingAutoRespond As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

If True, then a Pong frame is automatically sent when a Ping frame is received. If set to False, then the application may check the NeedSendPong property to determine if a Pong response is needed, and if so, may call the SendPong method to send a Pong.

Note: If this property is True, then the ReadFrame method will auto-consume incoming Ping frames. In other words, ReadFrame will continue with reading the next incoming frame (thus Ping frames will never be returned to the application). This relieves the application from having to worry about receiving and handling spurious Ping frames.

The default value is True.

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PongAutoConsume
PongAutoConsume As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

If True, then incoming Pong frames are automatically consumed, and a call to ReadFrame will continue reading until it receives a non-Pong frame. The PongConsumed property can be checked to see if the last ReadFrame method call auto-consumed a Pong frame.

The default value is True.

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PongConsumed
PongConsumed As Boolean (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Is True if the last call to ReadFrame auto-consumed a Pong frame. This property is reset to False each time a ReadFrame method is called, and will get set to True if (1) the PongAutoConsume property is True and (2) a Pong frame was consumed within the ReadFrame method.

The purpose of PongAutoConsume and PongConsumed is to eliminate the concern for unanticipated Pong frames in the stream. In the websocket protocol, both sides (client and server) may send Pong frames at any time. In addition, if a Ping frame is sent, the corresponding Pong response frame can arrive at some unanticipated point later in the conversation. It's also possible, if several Ping frames are sent, that a Pong response frame is only sent for the most recent Ping frame. The default behavior of Chilkat's WebSocket API is to auto-consume incoming Pong frames and set this property to True. This allows the application to call a ReadFrame method for whatever application data frame it may be expecting, without needing to be concerned if the next incoming frame is a Pong frame.

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ReadFrameFailReason
ReadFrameFailReason As Integer (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

If the ReadFrame method returns False, this property holds the fail reason. It can have one of the following values:

0 - No failure.
1 - Read Timeout.
2 - Aborted by Application Callback.
3 - Fatal Socket Error (Lost Connection).
4 - Received invalid WebSocket frame bytes.
99 - A catch-all for any unknown failure.  (Should not ever occur.  If it does, contact Chilkat.)

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UncommonOptions
UncommonOptions As String (ReadOnly)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.80

This is a catch-all property to be used for uncommon needs. This property defaults to the empty string and should typically remain empty. Can be set to a list of the following comma separated keywords:

  • "ProtectFromVpn" - Introduced in v9.5.0.80. On Android systems, will bypass any VPN that may be installed or active.

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VerboseLogging
VerboseLogging As Boolean

If set to True, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. The default value is False. Verbose logging should only be used for debugging. The potentially large quantity of logged information may adversely affect peformance.

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Version
Version As String (ReadOnly)

Version of the component/library, such as "9.5.0.94"

More Information and Examples
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Methods

AddClientHeaders
Function AddClientHeaders() As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Adds the required WebSocket client-side open handshake headers. The headers specifically added to the previously specified REST object (in the call to UseConnection) are:

Upgrade: websocket
Connection: Upgrade
Sec-WebSocket-Key: ...
Sec-WebSocket-Version: 13

Returns True for success, False for failure.

More Information and Examples
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CloseConnection
Function CloseConnection() As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Forcibly closes the underlying connection. This is a non-clean way to close the connection, but may be used if needed. The clean way to close a websocket is to send a Close frame, and then receive the Close response.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

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GetFrameData
Function GetFrameData() As String
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Returns the accumulated received frame data as a string. Calling GetFrameData clears the internal receive buffer.

Returns Nothing on failure

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GetFrameDataBd
Function GetFrameDataBd(ByVal binData As BinData) As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Returns the accumulated received frame data in a BinData object. The received data is appended to the binData.

Calling this method clears the internal receive buffer.

More Information and Examples
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GetFrameDataSb
Function GetFrameDataSb(ByVal sb As StringBuilder) As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Returns the accumulated received frame data in a StringBuilder object. The received data is appended to the sb.

Calling this method clears the internal receive buffer.

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LoadTaskCaller
Function LoadTaskCaller(ByVal task As Task) As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.80

Loads the caller of the task's async method.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

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PollDataAvailable
Function PollDataAvailable() As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Check to see if data is available for reading on the websocket. Returns True if data is waiting and False if no data is waiting to be read.

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ReadFrame
Function ReadFrame() As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Reads a single frame from the connected websocket. If a frame was successfuly received, then the following properties are set: FrameOpcode, FrameDataLen, FinalFrame, and the received frame data can be retrieved by calling GetFrameData, GetFrameDataSb, or GetFrameDataBd.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

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ReadFrameAsync (1)
Function ReadFrameAsync() As Task
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Creates an asynchronous task to call the ReadFrame method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns Nothing on failure

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SendClose
Function SendClose(ByVal includeStatus As Boolean, ByVal statusCode As Integer, ByVal reason As String) As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Sends a Close control frame. If includeStatus is True, then the statusCode is sent in the application data part of the Close frame. A Close reason may be provided only if includeStatus is True. If this Close was sent to satisfy an already-received Close frame, then the underlying connection will also automatically be closed.

Note: If a status code and reason are provided, the utf-8 representation of the reason string must be 123 bytes or less. Chilkat will automatically truncate the reason to 123 bytes if necessary. Also, the status code must be an integer in the range 0 to 16383.

The WebSocket protocol specifies some pre-defined status codes at WebSocket Status Codes. For a normal closure, a status code value of 1000 should be used. The reason can be any string, as long as it is 123 bytes or less.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

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SendCloseAsync (1)
Function SendCloseAsync(ByVal includeStatus As Boolean, ByVal statusCode As Integer, ByVal reason As String) As Task
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Creates an asynchronous task to call the SendClose method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns Nothing on failure

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SendFrame
Function SendFrame(ByVal stringToSend As String, ByVal finalFrame As Boolean) As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Sends a single data frame containing a string. If this is the final frame in a message, then finalFrame should be set to True. Otherwise set finalFrame equal to False.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

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SendFrameAsync (1)
Function SendFrameAsync(ByVal stringToSend As String, ByVal finalFrame As Boolean) As Task
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Creates an asynchronous task to call the SendFrame method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns Nothing on failure

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SendFrameBd
Function SendFrameBd(ByVal bdToSend As BinData, ByVal finalFrame As Boolean) As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Sends a single data frame containing binary data (the contents of bdToSend). If this is the final frame in a message, then finalFrame should be set to True. Otherwise set finalFrame equal to False.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

More Information and Examples
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SendFrameBdAsync (1)
Function SendFrameBdAsync(ByVal bdToSend As BinData, ByVal finalFrame As Boolean) As Task
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Creates an asynchronous task to call the SendFrameBd method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns Nothing on failure

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SendFrameSb
Function SendFrameSb(ByVal sbToSend As StringBuilder, ByVal finalFrame As Boolean) As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Sends a single data frame containing a string (the contents of sbToSend). If this is the final frame in a message, then finalFrame should be set to True. Otherwise set finalFrame equal to False.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

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SendFrameSbAsync (1)
Function SendFrameSbAsync(ByVal sbToSend As StringBuilder, ByVal finalFrame As Boolean) As Task
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Creates an asynchronous task to call the SendFrameSb method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns Nothing on failure

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SendPing
Function SendPing(ByVal pingData As String) As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Sends a Ping control frame, optionally including text data. If pingData is non-empty, the utf-8 representation of the string must be 125 bytes or less. Chilkat will automatically truncate the pingData to 125 bytes if necessary.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

More Information and Examples
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SendPingAsync (1)
Function SendPingAsync(ByVal pingData As String) As Task
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Creates an asynchronous task to call the SendPing method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns Nothing on failure

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SendPong
Function SendPong() As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Sends a Pong control frame. If this Pong frame is sent to satisfy an unresponded-to Ping frame, then the previously received Ping data is automatically sent in this Pong frame.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

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SendPongAsync (1)
Function SendPongAsync() As Task
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Creates an asynchronous task to call the SendPong method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns Nothing on failure

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UseConnection
Function UseConnection(ByVal connection As Rest) As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Initializes the connection for a WebSocket session. All WebSocket sessions begin with a call to UseConnection. A Chilkat REST object is used for the connection because the WebSocket handshake begins with an HTTP GET request. The Chilkat REST API provides the ability to add custom headers, authentication, etc. to the opening GET handshake. It also provides the ability to establish connections over TLS or SSH and to benefit from the rich set of features already present relating to HTTP proxies, SOCKS proxies, bandwidth throttling, IPv6, socket options, etc.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

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ValidateServerHandshake
Function ValidateServerHandshake() As Boolean
Introduced in version 9.5.0.70

Called after sending the opening handshake from the Rest object. Validates the server's response to the opening handshake message. If validation is successful, the application may begin sending and receiving data and control frames.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

More Information and Examples
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Events

AbortCheck
Event OnAbortCheck

Provides the opportunity for a method call to be aborted. The AbortCheck event is fired periodically based on the value of the HeartbeatMs property. If HeartbeatMs is 0, then no AbortCheck events will fire. As an example, to fire 5 AbortCheck events per second, set the HeartbeatMs property equal to 200.

Args are passed using Chilkat.AbortCheckEventArgs

Event callback implementation:

Dim WithEvents websocket As Chilkat.WebSocket

Private Sub websocket_OnAbortCheck(sender As Object, args As Chilkat.AbortCheckEventArgs) Handles websocket.OnAbortCheck

    ...

End Sub
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PercentDone
Event OnPercentDone

Provides the percentage completed for any method that involves network communications or time-consuming processing (assuming it is a method where a percentage completion can be measured). This event is only fired when it is possible to know a percentage completion, and when it makes sense to express the operation as a percentage completed. The pctDone argument will have a value from 1 to 100. For operations (Chilkat method calls) that complete very quickly, the number of PercentDone callbacks will vary, but the final callback should have a value of 100. For long running operations, no more than one callback per percentage point will occur (for example: 1, 2, 3, ... 98, 99, 100).

The PercentDone callback counts as an AbortCheck event. For method calls that complete quickly such that PercentDone events fire, it may be that AbortCheck events don't fire because the opportunity to abort is already provided in the PercentDone callback. For time consuming operations, where the amount of time between PercentDone callbacks are long, AbortCheck callbacks may be used to allow for the operation to be aborted in a more responsive manner.

The abort output argument provides a means for aborting the operation. Setting it to True will cause the method to abort and return a failed status (or whatever return value indicates failure).

Args are passed using Chilkat.PercentDoneEventArgs

Event callback implementation:

Dim WithEvents websocket As Chilkat.WebSocket

Private Sub websocket_OnPercentDone(sender As Object, args As Chilkat.PercentDoneEventArgs) Handles websocket.OnPercentDone

    ...

End Sub
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ProgressInfo
Event OnProgressInfo

A general name/value event that provides information about what is happening during a method call. To find out what information is available, write code to handle this event and log the name/value pairs. Most are self-explanatory.

Args are passed using Chilkat.ProgressInfoEventArgs

Event callback implementation:

Dim WithEvents websocket As Chilkat.WebSocket

Private Sub websocket_OnProgressInfo(sender As Object, args As Chilkat.ProgressInfoEventArgs) Handles websocket.OnProgressInfo

    ...

End Sub
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TaskCompleted
Event OnTaskCompleted

Called in the background thread when an asynchronous task completes.

More Information and Examples

Args are passed using Chilkat.TaskCompletedEventArgs

Event callback implementation:

Dim WithEvents websocket As Chilkat.WebSocket

Private Sub websocket_OnTaskCompleted(sender As Object, args As Chilkat.TaskCompletedEventArgs) Handles websocket.OnTaskCompleted

    ...

End Sub
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