This library requires C++17 and is designed as an extension to boost.asio. It will let you build asynchronous servers or client for JSON-RPC or msgpack-RPC.

The project is hosted on GitHub and available on Conan Center. Documentation is available on GitHub Pages.

Overview

#include <iostream>
 
#include <packio/packio.h>
 
using packio::allow_extra_arguments;
using packio::arg;
using packio::nl_json_rpc::completion_handler;
using packio::nl_json_rpc::make_client;
using packio::nl_json_rpc::make_server;
using packio::nl_json_rpc::rpc;
using namespace packio::arg_literals;
 
int main(int, char**)
{
    using namespace packio::arg_literals;
 
    // Declare a server and a client, sharing the same io_context
    packio::net::io_context io;
    packio::net::ip::tcp::endpoint bind_ep{
        packio::net::ip::make_address("127.0.0.1"), 0};
    auto server = make_server(packio::net::ip::tcp::acceptor{io, bind_ep});
    auto client = make_client(packio::net::ip::tcp::socket{io});
 
    // Declare a synchronous callback with named arguments
    server->dispatcher()->add(
        "add", {"a", "b"}, [](int a, int b) { return a + b; });
    // Declare an asynchronous callback with named arguments,
    // an argument with a default value and an option to
    // accept and discard extra arguments
    server->dispatcher()->add_async(
        "multiply",
        {allow_extra_arguments, "a", "b"_arg = 2},
        [&io](completion_handler complete, int a, int b) {
            // Call the completion handler later
            packio::net::post(
                io, [a, b, complete = std::move(complete)]() mutable {
                    complete(a * b);
                });
        });
    // Declare a coroutine with unnamed arguments
    server->dispatcher()->add_coro(
        "pow", io, [](int a, int b) -> packio::net::awaitable<int> {
            co_return std::pow(a, b);
        });
 
    // Connect the client
    client->socket().connect(server->acceptor().local_endpoint());
    // Accept connections
    server->async_serve_forever();
    // Run the io_context
    std::thread thread{[&] { io.run(); }};
 
    // Make an asynchronous call with named arguments
    // using either `packio::arg` or `packio::arg_literals`
    std::promise<int> add1_result, multiply_result;
    client->async_call(
        "add",
        std::tuple{arg("a") = 42, "b"_arg = 24},
        [&](packio::error_code, const rpc::response_type& r) {
            add1_result.set_value(r.result.get<int>());
        });
    std::cout << "42 + 24 = " << add1_result.get_future().get() << std::endl;
 
    // Use packio::net::use_future with named arguments and literals
    auto add_future = client->async_call(
        "multiply",
        std::tuple{"a"_arg = 12, "b"_arg = 23},
        packio::net::use_future);
    std::cout << "12 * 23 = " << add_future.get().result.get<int>() << std::endl;
 
    // Spawn the coroutine and wait for its completion
    std::promise<int> pow_result;
    packio::net::co_spawn(
        io,
        [&]() -> packio::net::awaitable<void> {
            // Call using an awaitable and positional arguments
            auto res = co_await client->async_call(
                "pow", std::tuple{2, 8}, packio::net::use_awaitable);
            pow_result.set_value(res.result.get<int>());
        },
        packio::net::detached);
    std::cout << "2 ** 8 = " << pow_result.get_future().get() << std::endl;
 
    io.stop();
    thread.join();
 
    return 0;
}

Requirements

C++17 or C++20
msgpack >= 3.2.1
nlohmann_json >= 3.9.1
boost.asio >= 1.70.0 or asio >= 1.13.0

Older versions of msgpack and nlohmann_json are probably compatible but they are not tested on the CI.

Configurations

Standalone or Boost.Asio

By default, packio uses boost::asio. It is also compatible with standalone asio. To use the standalone version, the preprocessor macro PACKIO_STANDALONE_ASIO=1 must be defined.

If you are using the conan package, you can use the option standalone_asio=True.

Depending on your choice, the namespace packio::net will be an alias for either boost::asio or asio.

RPC components

You can define the following preprocessor macros to either 0 or 1 to force-disable or force-enable components of packio:

PACKIO_HAS_MSGPACK
PACKIO_HAS_NLOHMANN_JSON
PACKIO_HAS_BOOST_JSON

If you're using the conan package, use the associated options instead, conan will define these macros accordingly.

If you're not using the conan package, packio will try to auto-detect whether these components are available on your system. Define the macros to the appropriate value if you encounter any issue.

Boost before 1.75

If you're using the conan package with a boost version older than 1.75, you need to manually disable Boost.Json with the options boost_json=False. Boost.Json version 1.75 contains some bugs when using C-strings as arguments so I'd recommend at using at least version 1.76.

Tested compilers

gcc-9
gcc-10
gcc-11
gcc-12
clang-11
clang-12
clang-13
clang-14
Apple clang-13
Visual Studio 2019 Version 16
Visual Studio 2022 Version 17

Older compilers may be compatible but are not tested.

Install with conan

conan install packio/x.x.x

Coroutines

packio is compatible with C++20 coroutines:

calls can use the packio::asio::use_awaitable completion token
coroutines can be registered in the server

Coroutines are tested for the following compilers:

gcc-11
gcc-12
clang-14
Apple clang-12

Samples

You will find some samples in test_package/samples/ to help you get a hand on packio.

Bonus

Let's compute fibonacci's numbers recursively over websockets with coroutines on a single thread ... in 65 lines of code.

#include <iostream>
 
#include <packio/extra/websocket.h>
#include <packio/packio.h>
 
using packio::msgpack_rpc::make_client;
using packio::msgpack_rpc::make_server;
using packio::net::ip::make_address;
 
using awaitable_tcp_stream = decltype(packio::net::use_awaitable_t<>::as_default_on(
    std::declval<boost::beast::tcp_stream>()));
using websocket = packio::extra::
    websocket_adapter<boost::beast::websocket::stream<awaitable_tcp_stream>, true>;
using ws_acceptor =
    packio::extra::websocket_acceptor_adapter<packio::net::ip::tcp::acceptor, websocket>;
 
int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
    if (argc < 2) {
        std::cerr << "I require one argument" << std::endl;
        return 1;
    }
    const int n = std::atoi(argv[1]);
 
    packio::net::io_context io;
    packio::net::ip::tcp::endpoint bind_ep{make_address("127.0.0.1"), 0};
 
    auto server = make_server(ws_acceptor{io, bind_ep});
    auto client = make_client(websocket{io});
 
    server->dispatcher()->add_coro(
        "fibonacci", io, [&](int n) -> packio::net::awaitable<int> {
            if (n <= 1) {
                co_return n;
            }
 
            auto r1 = co_await client->async_call("fibonacci", std::tuple{n - 1});
            auto r2 = co_await client->async_call("fibonacci", std::tuple{n - 2});
 
            co_return r1.result.as<int>() + r2.result.as<int>();
        });
 
    int result = 0;
    packio::net::co_spawn(
        io,
        [&]() -> packio::net::awaitable<void> {
            auto ep = server->acceptor().local_endpoint();
            co_await client->socket().next_layer().async_connect(ep);
            co_await client->socket().async_handshake(
                "127.0.0.1:" + std::to_string(ep.port()), "/");
            auto ret = co_await client->async_call("fibonacci", std::tuple{n});
            result = ret.result.template as<int>();
            io.stop();
        },
        packio::net::detached);
 
    server->async_serve_forever();
    io.run();
 
    std::cout << "F{" << n << "} = " << result << std::endl;
 
    return 0;
}