An http/https server inside Homebridge to receive notifications from external programs
npm install homebridge-http-notification-serverhomebridge-http-notification-server can be used together with Homebridge
http accessories. Http accessories are Homebridge plugins, which forward HomeKit requests to another program over a
http request. An example for such an accessory would be my
homebridge-http-switch.
The problem with such accessories is when
the state of the external program changes it cannot be directly reflected in HomeKit. So one solution would be that
every http accessory packs its own http server to receive state changes. But with multiple switches this becomes a mess
very fast.
This is where the homebridge-http-notification-server comes in. It is basically a Homebridge plugin, which is loaded by
Homebridge like any other plugin but doesn't register any accessories or platforms. Instead it starts ONE http or https
server. Http accessories can register with an unique id. Any request the external program will send to the notification
server will be forwarded to the accessory which specified the respective notificationID.
sudo npm install -g homebridge-http-notification-server
The configuration file is located in the homebridge directory and needs to be called notification-server.json
Example:
``json
{
"hostname": "127.0.0.1",
"port": 8080,
"ssl": {
"privateKey": "/path/to/private-key.prm",
"certificate": "/path/to/certificate.cert"
}
}
`
* hostname is optional, default value is 0.0.0.0
* is required, default value is 8080
* is optional. When specified notification-server will create an https server with the specified privateKey and certificate. Otherwise a default unsecured http server is started.
First of all you need to specify a handler function in your homebridge accessory. homebridge-http-notification-server global
locates its registration function in the variable notificationRegistration at plugin initialization time.
In order to be sure, that homebridge-http-notification-server was already loaded by homebridge, you listen on the event didFinishLaunching of the homebridge api.
notificationRegistration(notificationId, handlerFunction[, password])
notificationRegistration function has three parameters, the first two are required.
* : this is id needs to be unique per homebridge instance. It is later used to identify the accessory when handlerFunction
a request is made to the notification-server
* : function which is called when the notification-server received a request for the specified notificationId.password
It needs to have one parameter, which is the json body from the http request.
* : this parameter is fully optional. If specified every request to the notification-server must be authenticated
with the specified password. Later more on how a request is constructed.
Example http accessory:
`javascript
let api;
module.exports = function (homebridgeAPI) {
api = homebridgeAPI;
homebridgeAPI.registerAccessory("homebridge-http-example-accessory", "HTTP-ACCESSORY", HTTP_ACCESSORY);
};
function HTTP_ACCESSORY(log, config) {
// Some initialization
this.name = config.name;
this.service = new Service.Switch(this.name);
this.service.getCharacteristic(Characteristic.On)
.on("get", this.getStatus.bind(this))
.on("set", this.setStatus.bind(this));
api.on('didFinishLaunching', function() {
// check if notificationRegistration is set, if not 'notificationRegistration' is probably not installed on the system
if (global.notificationRegistration && typeof global.notificationRegistration === "function") {
try {
global.notificationRegistration("accessory-identifier", this.handleNotification.bind(this), "top-secret-password");
} catch (error) {
// notificationID is already taken
}
}
}.bind(this));
}
HTTP_ACCESSORY.prototype = {
identify: function (callback) {
this.log("Identify requested!");
callback();
},
getServices: function () {
return [this.service];
},
handleNotification: function (jsonRequest) {
const service = jsonRequest.service; // value is optional and only relevant if your accessory exposes multiple services
const characteristic = jsonRequest.characteristic;
const value = jsonRequest.value;
// #testCharacteristic returns true if the service was added the specified characteristic.
// you could ad additional checks to adjust for your needs
const validCharacteristic = this.service.testCharacteristic(characteristic);
if (!validCharacteristic) {
this.log("Encountered unknown characteristic when handling notification: " + characteristic);
return; // in this example we ignore invalid requests
}
this.service.updateCharacteristic(characteristic, value);
},
getStatus: function(callback) {
// request
},
setStatus: function(on, callback) {
// request
}
};
`
The http application sends a request to the notification-server (inside of homebridge) to update a value of a HomeKit
characteristic. The http request must be a POST request. The url would be constructed as follows:
http:// (https://... if ssl is turned on)
In our example the url would look like the following:
http://127.0.0.1:8080/accessory-identifier
The POST body would look like the following:
`json5`
{
"characteristic": "On",
"value": true,
"password": "your-top-secret-password",
"accessory": "example-accessory", // optional, plugin defined
"service": "switch-service", // optional, plugin defined
}
Common properties:
* is required. It represents the name of the characteristic which is going to be updated. Value must be notify
a string. Of course this only works with characteristics which have the permissions in the HAP specifications. value
* is required. password
* optional, but required if your accessory defined a password
Plugin defined properties:
* accessory is fully optional. The type and usage is up to be defined by the plugin. This project just suggestservice` is fully optional. The type and usage is up to be defined by the plugin. This project just suggest
this property to be used to identify a given accessory, if your plugin exposes multiple accessories.
*
this property to be used to identify a given service, if your plugin exposes multiple services.
* homebridge-http-switch
* homebridge-http-lightbulb
* homebridge-http-outlet
* homebridge-http-humidity-sensor
* homebridge-http-temperature-sensor
- homebridge-http-rgb-push by Sander van Woensel
- homebridge-http-ambient-light-sensor by Sander van Woensel
- homebridge-http-moisture-sensor by Phytonaire
_Notify me if you want to see your project here._