How can someone use QWebChannel over an existing TCP/IP connection (QTcpSocket)?

Question

I am attempting to figure out how I can implement a QWebChannel that sends data via an existing QTCPSocket instead of via its default QWebSocket method.

Here's something I attempted already, however I could not establish a connection:

I have made a simple program that implements a custom QWebChannelAbstractTransport which simply outputs the data being sent and received by a QWebChannel object.

I want to know if its even possible to implement a QWebChannel to work with a non-socket based interface?

If so, what do I have to do to my current program to make it so that when the button is clicked, the web channel sends the clicked event

---

EDIT

The desired affect is that any data that would normally be passed through a QWebSocket by QWebChannel is instead sent to qDebug() for output in a mixed C++ / QtQuick environment.

---

Here's what I have tried so far:

---

QWebChannelCustomTransport.pro

QT += quick webchannel

CONFIG += c++11

# The following define makes your compiler emit warnings if you use
# any Qt feature that has been marked deprecated (the exact warnings
# depend on your compiler). Refer to the documentation for the
# deprecated API to know how to port your code away from it.
DEFINES += QT_DEPRECATED_WARNINGS

# You can also make your code fail to compile if it uses deprecated APIs.
# In order to do so, uncomment the following line.
# You can also select to disable deprecated APIs only up to a certain version of Qt.
#DEFINES += QT_DISABLE_DEPRECATED_BEFORE=0x060000    # disables all the APIs deprecated before Qt 6.0.0

SOURCES += \
        customtransport.cpp \
        main.cpp

RESOURCES += qml.qrc

# Additional import path used to resolve QML modules in Qt Creator's code model
QML_IMPORT_PATH =

# Additional import path used to resolve QML modules just for Qt Quick Designer
QML_DESIGNER_IMPORT_PATH =

# Default rules for deployment.
qnx: target.path = /tmp/$${TARGET}/bin
else: unix:!android: target.path = /opt/$${TARGET}/bin
!isEmpty(target.path): INSTALLS += target

HEADERS += \
   customtransport.h

---

main.cpp

#include <QGuiApplication>
#include <QQmlApplicationEngine>
#include "customtransport.h"
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
  QCoreApplication::setAttribute(Qt::AA_EnableHighDpiScaling);

  QGuiApplication app(argc, argv);

  // register transport into QML
  qmlRegisterType<CustomTransport>("myapp.qml", 1, 0, "CustomTransport");


  QQmlApplicationEngine engine;
  const QUrl url(QStringLiteral("qrc:/main.qml"));
  QObject::connect(&engine, &QQmlApplicationEngine::objectCreated,
                   &app, [url](QObject *obj, const QUrl &objUrl) {
    if (!obj && url == objUrl)
      QCoreApplication::exit(-1);
  }, Qt::QueuedConnection);
  engine.load(url);


  return app.exec();
}

---

customtransport.h

#ifndef CUSTOMTRANSPORT_H
#define CUSTOMTRANSPORT_H

#include <QtWebChannel/QWebChannelAbstractTransport>
class CustomTransport : public QWebChannelAbstractTransport
{
  Q_OBJECT
public:
  CustomTransport(QObject* parent = nullptr);
  void sendMessage(const QJsonObject &message) override;

};

#endif // CUSTOMTRANSPORT_H

---

customtransport.cpp

#include "customtransport.h"
#include <QtDebug>
#include <QJsonObject>
#include <QJsonDocument>
CustomTransport::CustomTransport(QObject* parent) : QWebChannelAbstractTransport(parent)
{

}

void CustomTransport::sendMessage(const QJsonObject &message)
{
  qDebug() << "sendMessage" << message;
  emit this->messageReceived(message, this);
}

---

main.qml

import QtQuick 2.12
import QtQuick.Window 2.12
import QtQuick.Controls 2.12
import QtWebChannel 1.0
import myapp.qml 1.0
import "qwebchannel.js" as WC

Window {
    visible: true
    width: 640
    height: 480
    title: qsTr("Hello World")
    id: rootWindow
    Button {
        text: "CLick me!";
        id: myButton
        WebChannel.id: "myButton"

    }
    CustomTransport {
        id: myCustomTransport
        property var onmessage
        property var send: function(arg) {
            sendMessage(arg);
        }

        onMessageReceived: {
            console.log("received message: " + JSON.stringify(message));
        }

    }


    WebChannel {
        id: myChannel


    }


    property var channel2
    Component.onCompleted: {

        myChannel.registerObject("myButton", myButton);
        channel2 = new WC.QWebChannel(myCustomTransport, function (ch) {

            myChannel.connectTo(myCustomTransport);

            ch.registerObject("myButton", myButton);
            ch.objects.myButton.clicked.connect(function() {  console.log("Button clicked and web channel updated") })

        });



    }

}

---

qwebchannel.js FROM Qt 5.14 RELEASE

/****************************************************************************
**
** Copyright (C) 2016 The Qt Company Ltd.
** Copyright (C) 2016 Klarälvdalens Datakonsult AB, a KDAB Group company, [email protected], author Milian Wolff <[email protected]>
** Contact: https://www.qt.io/licensing/
**
** This file is part of the QtWebChannel module of the Qt Toolkit.
**
** $QT_BEGIN_LICENSE:LGPL$
** Commercial License Usage
** Licensees holding valid commercial Qt licenses may use this file in
** accordance with the commercial license agreement provided with the
** Software or, alternatively, in accordance with the terms contained in
** a written agreement between you and The Qt Company. For licensing terms
** and conditions see https://www.qt.io/terms-conditions. For further
** information use the contact form at https://www.qt.io/contact-us.
**
** GNU Lesser General Public License Usage
** Alternatively, this file may be used under the terms of the GNU Lesser
** General Public License version 3 as published by the Free Software
** Foundation and appearing in the file LICENSE.LGPL3 included in the
** packaging of this file. Please review the following information to
** ensure the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3 requirements
** will be met: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-3.0.html.
**
** GNU General Public License Usage
** Alternatively, this file may be used under the terms of the GNU
** General Public License version 2.0 or (at your option) the GNU General
** Public license version 3 or any later version approved by the KDE Free
** Qt Foundation. The licenses are as published by the Free Software
** Foundation and appearing in the file LICENSE.GPL2 and LICENSE.GPL3
** included in the packaging of this file. Please review the following
** information to ensure the GNU General Public License requirements will
** be met: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html and
** https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html.
**
** $QT_END_LICENSE$
**
****************************************************************************/

"use strict";

var QWebChannelMessageTypes = {
    signal: 1,
    propertyUpdate: 2,
    init: 3,
    idle: 4,
    debug: 5,
    invokeMethod: 6,
    connectToSignal: 7,
    disconnectFromSignal: 8,
    setProperty: 9,
    response: 10,
};

var QWebChannel = function(transport, initCallback)
{
    if (typeof transport !== "object" || typeof transport.send !== "function") {
        console.error("The QWebChannel expects a transport object with a send function and onmessage callback property." +
                      " Given is: transport: " + typeof(transport) + ", transport.send: " + typeof(transport.send));
        return;
    }

    var channel = this;
    this.transport = transport;

    this.send = function(data)
    {
        if (typeof(data) !== "string") {
            data = JSON.stringify(data);
        }
        channel.transport.send(data);
    }

    this.transport.onmessage = function(message)
    {
        var data = message.data;
        if (typeof data === "string") {
            data = JSON.parse(data);
        }
        switch (data.type) {
            case QWebChannelMessageTypes.signal:
                channel.handleSignal(data);
                break;
            case QWebChannelMessageTypes.response:
                channel.handleResponse(data);
                break;
            case QWebChannelMessageTypes.propertyUpdate:
                channel.handlePropertyUpdate(data);
                break;
            default:
                console.error("invalid message received:", message.data);
                break;
        }
    }

    this.execCallbacks = {};
    this.execId = 0;
    this.exec = function(data, callback)
    {
        if (!callback) {
            // if no callback is given, send directly
            channel.send(data);
            return;
        }
        if (channel.execId === Number.MAX_VALUE) {
            // wrap
            channel.execId = Number.MIN_VALUE;
        }
        if (data.hasOwnProperty("id")) {
            console.error("Cannot exec message with property id: " + JSON.stringify(data));
            return;
        }
        data.id = channel.execId++;
        channel.execCallbacks[data.id] = callback;
        channel.send(data);
    };

    this.objects = {};

    this.handleSignal = function(message)
    {
        var object = channel.objects[message.object];
        if (object) {
            object.signalEmitted(message.signal, message.args);
        } else {
            console.warn("Unhandled signal: " + message.object + "::" + message.signal);
        }
    }

    this.handleResponse = function(message)
    {
        if (!message.hasOwnProperty("id")) {
            console.error("Invalid response message received: ", JSON.stringify(message));
            return;
        }
        channel.execCallbacks[message.id](message.data);
        delete channel.execCallbacks[message.id];
    }

    this.handlePropertyUpdate = function(message)
    {
        for (var i in message.data) {
            var data = message.data[i];
            var object = channel.objects[data.object];
            if (object) {
                object.propertyUpdate(data.signals, data.properties);
            } else {
                console.warn("Unhandled property update: " + data.object + "::" + data.signal);
            }
        }
        channel.exec({type: QWebChannelMessageTypes.idle});
    }

    this.debug = function(message)
    {
        channel.send({type: QWebChannelMessageTypes.debug, data: message});
    };

    channel.exec({type: QWebChannelMessageTypes.init}, function(data) {
        for (var objectName in data) {
            var object = new QObject(objectName, data[objectName], channel);
        }
        // now unwrap properties, which might reference other registered objects
        for (var objectName in channel.objects) {
            channel.objects[objectName].unwrapProperties();
        }
        if (initCallback) {
            initCallback(channel);
        }
        channel.exec({type: QWebChannelMessageTypes.idle});
    });
};

function QObject(name, data, webChannel)
{
    this.__id__ = name;
    webChannel.objects[name] = this;

    // List of callbacks that get invoked upon signal emission
    this.__objectSignals__ = {};

    // Cache of all properties, updated when a notify signal is emitted
    this.__propertyCache__ = {};

    var object = this;

    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------

    this.unwrapQObject = function(response)
    {
        if (response instanceof Array) {
            // support list of objects
            var ret = new Array(response.length);
            for (var i = 0; i < response.length; ++i) {
                ret[i] = object.unwrapQObject(response[i]);
            }
            return ret;
        }
        if (!(response instanceof Object))
            return response;

        if (!response["__QObject*__"]
            || response.id === undefined) {
            var jObj = {};
            for (var propName in response) {
                jObj[propName] = object.unwrapQObject(response[propName]);
            }
            return jObj;
        }

        var objectId = response.id;
        if (webChannel.objects[objectId])
            return webChannel.objects[objectId];

        if (!response.data) {
            console.error("Cannot unwrap unknown QObject " + objectId + " without data.");
            return;
        }

        var qObject = new QObject( objectId, response.data, webChannel );
        qObject.destroyed.connect(function() {
            if (webChannel.objects[objectId] === qObject) {
                delete webChannel.objects[objectId];
                // reset the now deleted QObject to an empty {} object
                // just assigning {} though would not have the desired effect, but the
                // below also ensures all external references will see the empty map
                // NOTE: this detour is necessary to workaround QTBUG-40021
                var propertyNames = [];
                for (var propertyName in qObject) {
                    propertyNames.push(propertyName);
                }
                for (var idx in propertyNames) {
                    delete qObject[propertyNames[idx]];
                }
            }
        });
        // here we are already initialized, and thus must directly unwrap the properties
        qObject.unwrapProperties();
        return qObject;
    }

    this.unwrapProperties = function()
    {
        for (var propertyIdx in object.__propertyCache__) {
            object.__propertyCache__[propertyIdx] = object.unwrapQObject(object.__propertyCache__[propertyIdx]);
        }
    }

    function addSignal(signalData, isPropertyNotifySignal)
    {
        var signalName = signalData[0];
        var signalIndex = signalData[1];
        object[signalName] = {
            connect: function(callback) {
                if (typeof(callback) !== "function") {
                    console.error("Bad callback given to connect to signal " + signalName);
                    return;
                }

                object.__objectSignals__[signalIndex] = object.__objectSignals__[signalIndex] || [];
                object.__objectSignals__[signalIndex].push(callback);

                // only required for "pure" signals, handled separately for properties in propertyUpdate
                if (isPropertyNotifySignal)
                    return;

                // also note that we always get notified about the destroyed signal
                if (signalName === "destroyed" || signalName === "destroyed()" || signalName === "destroyed(QObject*)")
                    return;

                // and otherwise we only need to be connected only once
                if (object.__objectSignals__[signalIndex].length == 1) {
                    webChannel.exec({
                        type: QWebChannelMessageTypes.connectToSignal,
                        object: object.__id__,
                        signal: signalIndex
                    });
                }
            },
            disconnect: function(callback) {
                if (typeof(callback) !== "function") {
                    console.error("Bad callback given to disconnect from signal " + signalName);
                    return;
                }
                object.__objectSignals__[signalIndex] = object.__objectSignals__[signalIndex] || [];
                var idx = object.__objectSignals__[signalIndex].indexOf(callback);
                if (idx === -1) {
                    console.error("Cannot find connection of signal " + signalName + " to " + callback.name);
                    return;
                }
                object.__objectSignals__[signalIndex].splice(idx, 1);
                if (!isPropertyNotifySignal && object.__objectSignals__[signalIndex].length === 0) {
                    // only required for "pure" signals, handled separately for properties in propertyUpdate
                    webChannel.exec({
                        type: QWebChannelMessageTypes.disconnectFromSignal,
                        object: object.__id__,
                        signal: signalIndex
                    });
                }
            }
        };
    }

    /**
     * Invokes all callbacks for the given signalname. Also works for property notify callbacks.
     */
    function invokeSignalCallbacks(signalName, signalArgs)
    {
        var connections = object.__objectSignals__[signalName];
        if (connections) {
            connections.forEach(function(callback) {
                callback.apply(callback, signalArgs);
            });
        }
    }

    this.propertyUpdate = function(signals, propertyMap)
    {
        // update property cache
        for (var propertyIndex in propertyMap) {
            var propertyValue = propertyMap[propertyIndex];
            object.__propertyCache__[propertyIndex] = this.unwrapQObject(propertyValue);
        }

        for (var signalName in signals) {
            // Invoke all callbacks, as signalEmitted() does not. This ensures the
            // property cache is updated before the callbacks are invoked.
            invokeSignalCallbacks(signalName, signals[signalName]);
        }
    }

    this.signalEmitted = function(signalName, signalArgs)
    {
        invokeSignalCallbacks(signalName, this.unwrapQObject(signalArgs));
    }

    function addMethod(methodData)
    {
        var methodName = methodData[0];
        var methodIdx = methodData[1];

        // Fully specified methods are invoked by id, others by name for host-side overload resolution
        var invokedMethod = methodName[methodName.length - 1] === ')' ? methodIdx : methodName

        object[methodName] = function() {
            var args = [];
            var callback;
            var errCallback;
            for (var i = 0; i < arguments.length; ++i) {
                var argument = arguments[i];
                if (typeof argument === "function")
                    callback = argument;
                else if (argument instanceof QObject && webChannel.objects[argument.__id__] !== undefined)
                    args.push({
                        "id": argument.__id__
                    });
                else
                    args.push(argument);
            }

            var result;
            // during test, webChannel.exec synchronously calls the callback
            // therefore, the promise must be constucted before calling
            // webChannel.exec to ensure the callback is set up
            if (!callback && (typeof(Promise) === 'function')) {
              result = new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
                callback = resolve;
                errCallback = reject;
              });
            }

            webChannel.exec({
                "type": QWebChannelMessageTypes.invokeMethod,
                "object": object.__id__,
                "method": invokedMethod,
                "args": args
            }, function(response) {
                if (response !== undefined) {
                    var result = object.unwrapQObject(response);
                    if (callback) {
                        (callback)(result);
                    }
                } else if (errCallback) {
                  (errCallback)();
                }
            });

            return result;
        };
    }

    function bindGetterSetter(propertyInfo)
    {
        var propertyIndex = propertyInfo[0];
        var propertyName = propertyInfo[1];
        var notifySignalData = propertyInfo[2];
        // initialize property cache with current value
        // NOTE: if this is an object, it is not directly unwrapped as it might
        // reference other QObject that we do not know yet
        object.__propertyCache__[propertyIndex] = propertyInfo[3];

        if (notifySignalData) {
            if (notifySignalData[0] === 1) {
                // signal name is optimized away, reconstruct the actual name
                notifySignalData[0] = propertyName + "Changed";
            }
            addSignal(notifySignalData, true);
        }

        Object.defineProperty(object, propertyName, {
            configurable: true,
            get: function () {
                var propertyValue = object.__propertyCache__[propertyIndex];
                if (propertyValue === undefined) {
                    // This shouldn't happen
                    console.warn("Undefined value in property cache for property \"" + propertyName + "\" in object " + object.__id__);
                }

                return propertyValue;
            },
            set: function(value) {
                if (value === undefined) {
                    console.warn("Property setter for " + propertyName + " called with undefined value!");
                    return;
                }
                object.__propertyCache__[propertyIndex] = value;
                var valueToSend = value;
                if (valueToSend instanceof QObject && webChannel.objects[valueToSend.__id__] !== undefined)
                    valueToSend = { "id": valueToSend.__id__ };
                webChannel.exec({
                    "type": QWebChannelMessageTypes.setProperty,
                    "object": object.__id__,
                    "property": propertyIndex,
                    "value": valueToSend
                });
            }
        });

    }

    // ----------------------------------------------------------------------

    data.methods.forEach(addMethod);

    data.properties.forEach(bindGetterSetter);

    data.signals.forEach(function(signal) { addSignal(signal, false); });

    for (var name in data.enums) {
        object[name] = data.enums[name];
    }
}

//required for use with nodejs
if (typeof module === 'object') {
    module.exports = {
        QWebChannel: QWebChannel
    };
}