Easiest way to talk to a Rust/wasm32 app running on localhost Chrome?

1

I have a crate that builds on both x86_64 and wasm32.

On x86_64, I can easily get a 'REPL' as follows:

  • setup a http post handler
  • evaluate the incoming msg
  • return the result
    I can get a very basic 'REPL' by sending post msgs over curl

Now, consider this app built on wasm32. One way to do this communication is:

localhost/chrome <- websocket -> local http server <-> curl

Here, the local http server is functioning as a 'router'

  • curl send msg to http server via POST
  • http server, via websocket, passes data to localhost/chrome
  • localhost/chrome, via websocket, sends data back to http server
  • http server sends response back to curl

Question: is there anyway to cut out the http server ? I.e.

local program <- ??? -> localhost/chrome

2

It sounds like you are trying to use some code running inside a page/worker on Chrome as a server, but as far as I know both the browser and curl are intended as clients.

I'd be quite surprised if a browser let you start a TCP listener, so that rendezvous HTTP server might be necessary.

Alternatively, what about creating a helper program that starts up the websockets server and prints a URL you can open in your browser. Then when Chrome connects you do the normal websockets thing to get a REPL.

1 Like
3

This, unfortunately, matches my current understanding. I was hoping there was some cool technique I was unaware of.

4

You might be interested in this.

1 Like
5

I think I did the thing you want to do in this game I wrote. The code is here and a playable version of the game is here.

Originally, I had the game run on a server, communicating with the player’s browser via a websocket. I wanted to host the game on Github Pages, so I used wasm to put the game in the player’s browser. It works pretty well, though this means the AI is weaker on phones than on computers.

Instead of a websocket, the browser now uses a webworker so that thinking won’t make the user interface less responsive. Only the webworker can call into the compiled wasm.

6

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