# Using Java.net Socket

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** ignition81, scripting\
**Created:** [October 3, 2023, 7:18am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962 "2023-10-03T07:18:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2023, 2:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/21 "2023-10-09T14:56:03Z")

</div>

> [@victordcq](#):
>
> `except (JavaExpection, Exception), e:`

That won't catch everything. And it mixes data types for `e`. I use (and strongly recommend) this construct (shown as if a library script):

```auto
from java.lang import Throwable
logger = system.util.getLogger(system.util.getProjectName() + '.' + __name__ )

def someTask():
	try:
		someaction()
	except Throwable, t:
		# Throwable is the ultimate superclass of all java exceptions and errors
		logger.warn("some text for java", t)
	except Exception, e
		# Exception is python's superclass (technically BaseException--substitute if you like)
		logger.warn("some text for jython", later.PythonAsJavaException(e))

```

Note that you cannot use jython exceptions with loggers, and you should always be using loggers (no prints). Which is why the separate `except:` clause is so important--you have extra work required to log a python exception. (`PythonAsJavaException()` is available in my [later.py](https://www.automation-pros.com/ignition/later.py).)

If you have common handling needed for both exception cases, move that into another function.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hayden\_Watson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hayden_watson/32/48792_2.png) [@Hayden\_Watson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Hayden_Watson)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 6:35am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/22 "2023-10-10T06:35:26Z")

</div>

Oh does the throwable catch basically all of the Java errors?

My exception cases for these are starting to look a bit ridiculous with all the different error types I'd been coming across, could never find a general exception as I very rarely want to do anything special based on the error.

```auto
try:
    spamEggs()
except java.lang.Exception as e:
    callBack(str(e))
	
except java.io.IOException as e:
	callBack(str(e))

except Exception as e:
	callBack(str(e))

def callBack(e)
	logger.warn("Failed, {0}".format(e))

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pascal.fragnoud](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pascal.fragnoud/32/24728_2.png) [@pascal.fragnoud](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pascal.fragnoud)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 7:09am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/23 "2023-10-10T07:09:46Z")

</div>

You're not catching `EggsTooCookedException` though.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hayden\_Watson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hayden_watson/32/48792_2.png) [@Hayden\_Watson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Hayden_Watson)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 7:11am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/24 "2023-10-10T07:11:16Z")

</div>

Ahh, that's why my code is always so scrambled, makes sense

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 12:54pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/25 "2023-10-10T12:54:30Z")

</div>

> [@Hayden\_Watson](#):
>
> the throwable catch basically all of the Java errors?

Yes. When you specify an exception type, that type and any subtypes are included. All java exceptions and errors inherit from `Throwable`, so you get them all there.

But it won't catch any jython errors--that's a different inheritance hierarchy.

You really should not be stringifying your exceptions--that drops the backtrace that you really need to debug complex problems. Pass them to the [appropriate logger methods](https://files.inductiveautomation.com/sdk/javadoc/ignition81/8.1.30/com/inductiveautomation/ignition/common/util/LoggerEx.html) (look for the argument of type `Throwable`), which will include the backtrace in the logs.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hayden\_Watson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hayden_watson/32/48792_2.png) [@Hayden\_Watson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Hayden_Watson)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 1:45pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/26 "2023-10-31T13:45:34Z")

</div>

Been a while as this was on the back burner...

I've been testing with it and managed to get some data out of the socket using the below code:

```auto
remaining_data_len = resp_data_len - len(response_data)
buff_size = 1024 if remaining_data_len > 1024 else remaining_data_len
	
chunk = jarray.zeros(buff_size, 'b')
response_header = in_stream.read(chunk, 0, buff_size) # read response data
	
myLogger.debug("Chunk : {0}".format(chunk))
	
chunk = chunk.tolist()
	
response_data = b"" + str(chunk)
response_data = response_data.decode("utf-8")
	
myLogger.debug("Response Data = {0}".format(response_data))
	
return response_data

```

When I run the code the values change so I can tell I'm getting the correct stuff out.

Defintely need to adjust my buffer size as most of the returned values are 0, but I get a response out of the socket like the below:

From my logger above...

```auto
Chunk : array('b', [34, 97, 117, 116, .....

```

Now I'm expecting to get a JSON out of this data showing my values. How am I supposed to convert this data into a string or a list of chars at least.

In my above code I naively attempt at just decoding at utf-8, but it just returns those integer values as actual integer values.

I must need to convert them back into a correct byte format then decode right?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 1:57pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/27 "2023-10-31T13:57:39Z")

</div>

> [@Hayden\_Watson](#):
>
> I must need to convert them back into a correct byte format

No, `array('b',...` **is** bytes.

> [@Hayden\_Watson](#):
>
> then decode right?

I don't know. How are your messages constructed on the wire? (You'll have to share a lot more code to get effective advice.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/28 "2023-10-31T14:06:23Z")

</div>

> [@Hayden\_Watson](#):
>
> `response_header = in_stream.read(chunk, 0, buff_size) # read response data`

This line is where your problems start.

`response_header` should be called something like `length` or `bytes_read`, and you need to use that to determine how many valid bytes were read into the buffer you provided.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hayden\_Watson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hayden_watson/32/48792_2.png) [@Hayden\_Watson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Hayden_Watson)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 2:14pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/29 "2023-10-31T14:14:32Z")

</div>

Okay, how do I convert these bytes into chars and get them out of this array without them just becoming integers?

Something I found is if I take these numbers and convert them to binary, then convert those binary values into utf-8 encoding I start to piece together my JSON I want

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/c/d/cdf6b22d97e8a6607f20f76fc6c9ac3fb3204a75.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hayden\_Watson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hayden_watson/32/48792_2.png) [@Hayden\_Watson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Hayden_Watson)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/30 "2023-10-31T14:15:41Z")

</div>

Ah okay, but will this also respond with empty bytes, or is this value going to be my good values. And I can ignore anything after these?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 2:22pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/31 "2023-10-31T14:22:37Z")

</div>

Maybe something like:

```auto
from java.lang import String

s = String(chunk, 0, bytes_read)

```

while `chunk` is still a byte array and you haven't converted it to a list or something.

But I think you have more problems here... you're reading JSON - how do you know when to stop? What is your frame delimiter?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hayden\_Watson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hayden_watson/32/48792_2.png) [@Hayden\_Watson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Hayden_Watson)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 2:38pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/32 "2023-10-31T14:38:52Z")

</div>

In our message we get a 16 byte message header, this contains the length information for the rest of our JSON.

In this example I just have a hard cap on the buffer as 1024. And read that until its full, none of the messages are longer than that. Not a good solution, but workable while I test to see if we can even connect first. I'll come back around to patch that up later on, once I can kind of decode my JSON.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 2:43pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/33 "2023-10-31T14:43:04Z")

</div>

> [@Hayden\_Watson](#):
>
> And read that until its full, none of the messages are longer than that.

If none of the messages are longer than that you can't read until it's full... you'll just be reading/waiting forever.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hayden\_Watson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hayden_watson/32/48792_2.png) [@Hayden\_Watson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Hayden_Watson)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 2:43pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/34 "2023-10-31T14:43:35Z")

</div>

```auto
chunk = jarray.zeros(buff_size, 'b')
bytes_read = in_stream.read(chunk, 0, buff_size) # read response data
	
myLogger.debug("Chunk : {0}".format(chunk))
	
myLogger.debug("Chunk Okay")
	
response_data = String(chunk, 0, bytes_read)
	
return response_data

```

That worked very well actually getting me the below values:

```auto
"auto_charge":false,"battery_cycle":58,"battery_level":0.99,"battery_temp":36.0,"battery_user_data":"0107E623000086DE","charging":true,"create_on":"2023-10-31T22:47:49.181+0800","current":3.81,"manual_charge":false,"max_charge_current":-1.0,"max_charge_voltage":-1.0,"ret_code":0,"voltage":53.602}

```

I'll need to look into where the buffer is going astray, seem to be missing the first '{' for whatever reason, but some tweaking shoudl sort that out.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hayden\_Watson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/hayden_watson/32/48792_2.png) [@Hayden\_Watson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Hayden_Watson)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2023, 2:45pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/using-java-net-socket/79962/35 "2023-10-31T14:45:14Z")

</div>

Ah, I think I've already got some check in there to unpack that header then. As it seems to send the data properly, I though it wasn't yet implemented.

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