Utility Methods API for PubNub JavaScript SDK

The methods on this page are utility methods that don't fit into other categories.

Close PubNub

Description

End all open requests and close the PubNub instance.

Basic Usage

pubnub.stop();

Decrypt

Description

This function allows to decrypt the data.

Method(s)

To decrypt the data, you can use the following method(s) in JavaScript V4 SDK.

decrypt(data: string, customCipherKey: ?string)

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`data`	String	Yes	The `data` to `decrypt`.
`customCipherKey`	String	Optional	If it's not provided, the `cipher key` from config will be used.

Basic Usage

var decrypted = pubnub.decrypt(encrypted, 'myCipherKey'); // Pass the encrypted data as the first parameter in decrypt Method

Returns

It returns the decrypted data as an object.

Decrypt File

Description

This function allow to decrypt the file content/data.

Method(s)

To decrypt the file, you can use the following method(s) in JavaScript V4 SDK.

pubnub.decryptFile(key: string, file: PubNubFile): Promise<PubNubFile>;

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`key`	String	Yes	Cipher key used for decryption.
`file`	PubNubFile	Yes	File to decrypt.

Basic Usage

// Node.js example
import fs from 'fs';

const fileBuffer = fs.readFileSync('./cat_picture_encrypted.jpg');

const file = pubnub.File.create({ data: fileBuffer, name: 'cat_picture.jpg', mimeType: 'image/jpeg' });

const decryptedFile = await pubnub.decryptFile('myCipherKey', file);

Returns

Returns a promise of PubNubFile

Encrypt

Description

This function allows to encrypt the data.

Method(s)

To encrypt the data, you can use the following method(s) in JavaScript V4 SDK.

encrypt(data: string, customCipherKey: ?string)

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`data`	String	Yes	The `data` to `encrypt`.
`customCipherKey`	String	Optional	If it's not provided, the `cipher key` from config will be used.

Basic Usage

Encrypt part of message

var sCypher = "testCypher";
var msgContent = "This is the data I wish to encrypt.";
console.log('msgContent: ' + msgContent);

// Encrypt with pubnub
var encryptedMessage = pubnub.encrypt(JSON.stringify(msgContent), sCypher);
console.log('encryptedMessage PN: ' + encryptedMessage);

Returns

It returns the encrypted data as string.

Encrypt File

Description

This function allow to encrypt the file content/data.

Method(s)

To encrypt the file, you can use the following method(s) in JavaScript V4 SDK.

pubnub.encryptFile(key: string, file: PubNubFile): Promise<PubNubFile>;

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`key`	String	Yes	Cipher key used for encryption.
`file`	PubNubFile	Yes	File to encrypt.

Basic Usage

// Node.js example
import fs from 'fs';

const fileBuffer = fs.readFileSync('./cat_picture.jpg');

const file = pubnub.File.create({ data: fileBuffer, name: 'cat_picture.jpg', mimeType: 'image/jpeg' });

const encryptedFile = await pubnub.encryptFile('myCipherKey', file);

Returns

Returns a promise of PubNubFile

PubNubFile

Description

Internal representation of the file used by the SDK. Depending on the environment, different methods can be used to extract the file.

Extracting the file

Methods supported in Node.js:

file.toBuffer() returns Promise<Buffer>
file.toStream() returns Promise<Readable>
file.toString(encoding: string) returns a string encoded using encoding (if not available, defaults to utf8)

Methods supported in a browser:

file.toFile() returns Promise<File>
file.toBlob() returns Promise<Blob>
file.toArrayBuffer() returns Promise<ArrayBuffer>
file.toString(encoding: string) returns returns a string encoded using encoding (if not available, defaults to utf8)

React and React Native:

file.toBlob() returns Promise<Blob>

Creating a file

pubnub.File.create(input: FileInput): PubNubFile;

FileInput represents a variety of possible inputs that represent a file in different environments.

Node.js

Using streams:

{
    stream: Readable,
    name: string,
    mimeType?: string
}

Using buffers:

{
    data: Buffer,
    name: string,
    mimeType?: string
}

Using strings:

{
    data: string,
    encoding: string,
    name: string,
    mimeType?: string
}

Browsers

Using File API
```
File
```

Using strings:

{
    data: string,
    name: string,
    mimeType?: string
}

Using ArrayBuffer:

{
    data: ArrayBuffer,
    name: string,
    mimeType?: string
}

Reconnect

Description

Call the reconnect method to force the SDK to try and reach out PubNub.

Method(s)

To reconnect the data, you can use the following method(s) in JavaScript V4 SDK.

reconnect()

This method doesn't take any arguments.

Basic Usage

pubnub.reconnect();

Time

Description

This function will return a 17 digit precision Unix epoch.

The timetoken is constructed using the following algorithm:

timetoken = (Unix epoch time in seconds) * 10000000

Example of creating a timetoken for a specific time and date

08/19/2013 @ 9:20pm in UTC = 1376961606
timetoken = 1376961606 * 10000000
timetoken = 13769616060000000

Method(s)

To fetch Time, you can use the following method(s) in JavaScript V4 SDK

const timetoken = await pubnub.time();

Basic Usage

Get PubNub Timetoken

// assuming an initialized PubNub instance already exists
try {
    const timetoken = await pubnub.time();
} catch (status) {
    console.log("Something went wrong:", status);
}

Response

//Example of status
{
    error: false,
    operation: 'PNTimeOperation',
    statusCode: 200
}

//Example of response
{
    timetoken: 15031768233407550
}

Other Examples

Basic usage with Promises

pubnub.time().then((timetoken) => {
    console.log(timetoken);
}).catch((error) => {
    console.log(error)
});

Push Notification Configuration

APNS2Configuration

Description

APNS2 configuration type.

Method(s)

type APNS2Configuration = {collapseId?: string,  expirationDate?: Date,  targets: Array<APNS2Target>}

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`collapseId`	String	Optional	Notification group / collapse identifier. Value will be used in APNS POST request as `apns-collapse-id` header value.
`expirationDate`	Date	Optional	Date till which APNS will try to deliver notification to target device. Value will be used in APNS POST request as `apns-expiration` header value.
`targets`	Array< APNS2Target>	Yes	List of topics which should receive this notification.

APNSNotificationPayload

Description

APNSNotificationPayload instance provides access to options specific only to push notifications sent with APNS

Properties

Parameter	Type	Description
`configurations`	Array< APNSNotificationConfiguration>	List of APNS over HTTP/2 delivery configurations.
`notification`	Hash	Hash with parameters which specify user-visible key-value pairs.
`payload`	Hash	Platform specific notification payload. In addition to data required to make notification visual presentation it can be used to pass additional information which should be sent to remote device.
`silent`	Boolean	Whether operation system should handle notification layout by default or not. `alert`, `sound` and `badge` will be removed from resulting payload if set to `true`.

APNS2Target

Description

APNS2 configuration target type.

Method(s)

type APNS2Target = {topic: string,  environment?: 'development' | 'production',  excludedDevices?: Array<string>}

Parameter	Type	Required	Defaults	Description
`topic`	String	Yes		Notifications topic name (usually it is bundle identifier of applicationfor Apple platform). Required only if `pushGateway` set to `apns2`.
`environment`	String	Optional	`development`	Environment within which registered devices to which notifications should be delivered. Available: `development` `production`
`excludedDevices`	Array	Yes		List of devices (their push tokens) to which this notification shouldn't be delivered.

FCMNotificationPayload

Description

FCMNotificationPayload instance provides access to options specific only to push notifications sent with FCM

Properties

Parameter	Type	Description
`notification`	Hash	Hash with parameters which specify user-visible key-value pairs.
`data`	Hash	Custom key-value object with additional information which will be passed to device along with displayable notification information. All object and scalar type value should be converted to strings before passing to this object. Keys shouldn't match: `from`, `message_type` or start with `google` or `gcm`. Also as key can't be used any word defined in this table
`silent`	Boolean	Whether operation system should handle notification layout by default or not. `notification` key with it's content will be moved from root level under `data` key.
`icon`	String	Icon which should be shown on the left from notification title instead of application icon.
`tag`	String	Unique notification identifier which can be used to publish update notifications (they will previous notification with same `tag`).
`payload`	Hash	Platform specific notification payload. In addition to data required to make notification visual presentation it can be used to pass additional information which should be sent to remote device.

NotificationsPayload

Description

NotificationsPayload instance provides convenient method and properties which allow to setup notification for multiple platforms without getting into details how they should be formatted.
Builder instance contain additional set of properties which allow to fine tune payloads for particular platforms and even access to RAW payload dictionaries.

Method(s)

Parameter	Type	Description
`subtitle`	String	Additional information which may explain reason why this notification has been delivered.
`badge`	Number	Number which should be shown in space designated by platform (for example atop of application icon).
`sound`	String	Path to file with sound or name of system sound which should be played upon notification receive.
`debugging`	Boolean	Whether PubNub service should provide debug information about devices which received created notifications payload.
`apns`	APNSNotificationPayload	Access to APNS specific notification builder.
`fcm`	FCMNotificationPayload	Access to FCM specific notification builder.

PubNub.notificationPayload(String title, String body)

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`title`	String	Optional	Short text which should be shown at the top of notification instead of application name.
`body`	String	Optional	Message which should be shown in notification body (under title line).

```
buildPayload(Array<String> platforms)
```
Parameter Type Required Description
platforms Array Yes List of platforms for which payload should be added to final dictionary. Available:
apns
apns2
fcm

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`platforms`	Array	Yes	List of platforms for which payload should be added to final dictionary. Available: `apns` `apns2` `fcm`

Basic Usage

Create notification payload builder with pre-defined notification title and body:

let builder = PubNub.notificationPayload('Chat invitation',
                                         'You have been invited to \'quiz\' chat');
let messagePayload = builder.buildPayload(['apns2', 'fcm']);
messagePayload.message = 'Max invited you to \'quiz\' chat room';
messagePayload.roomID = 'ewuiogw9vewg0';

pubnub.publish(
    {
        message: messagePayload,
        channel: 'chat-bot',
    },
    function (status, response) {
        // Handle publish results
    }
);

let builder = PubNub.notificationPayload('Chat invitation',
                                         'You have been invited to \'quiz\' chat');

Response

Hash with data, which can be sent with publish method call and trigger remote notifications for specified platforms.

Other Examples

Generate simple notification payload for FCM and APNS:

let builder = PubNub.notificationPayload('Chat invitation',
                                         'You have been invited to \'quiz\' chat');
builder.sound = 'default';

console.log(JSON.stringify(builder.buildPayload(['apns', 'fcm']), null, 2));

Output

{
    "pn_apns": {
        "aps": {
            "alert": {
                "body": "You have been invited to 'quiz' chat",
                "title": "Chat invitation"
            },
            "sound": "default"
        }
    },
    "pn_gcm": {
        "notification": {
            "body": "You have been invited to 'quiz' chat",
            "sound": "default",
            "title": "Chat invitation"
        }
    }
}

Generate simple notification payload for FCM and APNS over HTTP/2 (default configuration):

let builder = PubNub.notificationPayload('Chat invitation',
                                         'You have been invited to \'quiz\' chat');
builder.apns.configurations = [{ targets: [{ topic: 'com.meetings.chat.app' }] }];
builder.sound = 'default';

console.log(JSON.stringify(builder.buildPayload(['apns2', 'fcm']), null, 2));

Output

{
    "pn_apns": {
        "aps": {
            "alert": {
                "body": "You have been invited to 'quiz' chat",
                "title": "Chat invitation"
            },
            "sound": "default"
        },
        "pn_push": [
            {
                "targets": [
                    {
                        "environment": "development",
                        "topic": "com.meetings.chat.app"
                    }
                ],
                "version": "v2"
            }
        ]
    },
    "pn_gcm": {
        "notification": {
            "body": "You have been invited to 'quiz' chat",
            "sound": "default",
            "title": "Chat invitation"
        }
    }
}

Generate simple notification payload for FCM and APNS over HTTP/2 (custom configuration):

let configuration = [
    {
        collapseId: 'invitations',
        expirationDate: new Date(Date.now() + 10000),
        targets: [{ topic: 'com.meetings.chat.app' }]
    }
];
let builder = PubNub.notificationPayload('Chat invitation',
                                         'You have been invited to \'quiz\' chat');
builder.apns.configurations = [configuration];

console.log(JSON.stringify(builder.buildPayload(['apns2', 'fcm']), null, 2));

Output

{
    "pn_apns": {
        "aps": {
            "alert": {
                "body": "Chat invitation",
                "title": "You have been invited to 'quiz' chat"
            }
        },
        "pn_push": [
            {
                "collapse_id": "invitations",
                "expiration": "2019-11-28T22:06:09.163Z",
                "targets": [
                    {
                        "environment": "development",
                        "topic": "com.meetings.chat.app"
                    }
                ],
                "version": "v2"
            }
        ]
    },
    "pn_gcm": {
        "notification": {
            "body": "You have been invited to 'quiz' chat",
            "title": "Chat invitation"
        }
    }
}

Example above show how to create notification payload which APNS will try to redeliver few times (if devices not active) and give up after 10 seconds since moment when it has been scheduled.

Additionally this invitation notification will be grouped along with other invitation notifications (using provided collapse_id as group identifier) and shown as one in notification center.

Returns

Configured and ready to use NotificationsPayload instance.