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MCWS Feature Request - Notifications on state change

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Hendrik:
A websocket kind of solution would be the most likely, as it's both cross-platform and supports remote use, as well as having a cleanly defined interface at least for the low-level part of it.

The points against any other options have been made, but to summarize:
- Executing a program is local only and very limited in usability
- Windows messages are local and OS-specific, also limited in information conveyance

We actually had a system-wide broadcast message system on Windows years ago, similar to what zybex mentioned, but it was unused and undocumented (and actually broken accidentally without being noticed for a few years, before we removed it), and sending the messages caused hiccups in time-sensitive applications, like gaming while playing music, for unknown reasons, not going back to that.

We use our own networking primitives, so setting up a websocket would be a good chunk of effort to get going, since we haven't done that before, but its still the most reasonable thing to do, but it likely won't be showing up in the very near-term.
Luckily the basic WebSocket protocol doesn't seem overly complicated. If we define it in typical MCWS XML, or perhaps JSON because thats easier for remotes, it might not end up too bad.

zybex:

--- Quote from: mattkhan on February 15, 2024, 05:46:51 am ---Probably pointless to discuss unless any interest is shown but I will say that a windows specific thing sounds very bad to me, making you make an mcws to get info also, to my mind, largely defeats the point.

--- End quote ---

Agree on the windows-specific issue, but completely disagree on the other. Calling MCWS on a local network takes milliseconds. Having some hardwired data structure on the notification event is a recipe for constant change-requests for more info or other changes. All an external app needs is to know *something* happened, then it can get more info about the event to display or execute whatever it needs.

Hendrik:
I don't think eliminating MCWS calls entirely would be a goal for us, but the ability to send any data at all beyond a single number parameter would add a lot of value.

JimH:
I can't imagine that the power consumption is significantly different.  And logs _are_ cruft.  Write a reader with custom filters.

mattkhan:

--- Quote from: zybex on February 15, 2024, 06:31:15 am ---Agree on the windows-specific issue, but completely disagree on the other. Calling MCWS on a local network takes milliseconds. Having some hardwired data structure on the notification event is a recipe for constant change-requests for more info or other changes. All an external app needs is to know *something* happened, then it can get more info about the event to display or execute whatever it needs.

--- End quote ---
I didn't suggest a hard wired data structure, I suggested subscribing for changes to certain data so, by definition, that gives you changes to data you are interested in. "Something happened" notification is not completely useless but really not even half a job.

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