Embedding the video chat into a browser
HTML code placed on the page contains all the required dependence scripts (JavaScript) to connect to the server and manage capturing of video from web cameras
Use these instructions for quick installation and configuration of the server. In addition to that, you can connect to our demo server demo.flashphoner.com via the Websockets protocol to perform the tests.
Step-by-step instructions on how to embed video chat in a web page
To embed the video chat on your web page, let’s create two empty files: video-chat-min.html and video-chat-min.js. These files will contain the minimal code.
Let’s study the contents of the files
HTML
Place the necessary elements in video-chat-min.html:
1. Import the script of the main API:
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://flashphoner.com/downloads/builds/flashphoner_client/wcs_api-2.0/current/flashphoner.js"></script>
2. Import the script of video chat:
<script type="text/javascript" src="video-chat-min.js"></script>
3. Add styles to properly display video in div elements:
<style>
.fp-Video {
border: 1px double black;
width: 322px;
height: 242px;
}
.display {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
display: inline-block;
}
.display > video,
object {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
</style>
4. Initialize the API on page load:
<body onload="init_api()">
5. Add a div element in which the local (your) video stream will be displayed:
<div class="fp-Video">
<div id="local" class="display"></div>
</div>
6. Add a div element in which the video stream of your interlocutor will be displayed:
<div class="fp-Video">
<div id="remote" class="display"></div>
</div>
7. Add the “Start” button, clicking on which will initiate a connection to the server and begin broadcasting your stream and receiving the interlocutor’s stream:
<button id="startBtn">Start</button>
The full code of the HTML page looks as follows (file “video-chat-min.html”):
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://flashphoner.com/downloads/builds/flashphoner_client/wcs_api-2.0/current/flashphoner.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="video-chat-min.js"></script>
</head>
<style>
.fp-Video {
border: 1px double black;
width: 322px;
height: 242px;
}
.display {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
display: inline-block;
}
.display > video,
object {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
</style>
<body onload="init_api()">
<div class="fp-Video">
<div id="local" class="display"></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="fp-Video">
<div id="remote" class="display"></div>
</div>
<br />
<button id="startBtn">Start</button>
</body>
</html>
JavaScript
1. We create constants and variables for the server operation status and WebSocket session. To work with the iOS Safari browser, we need a preloader, which can be downloaded from GitHub:
var SESSION_STATUS = Flashphoner.constants.SESSION_STATUS; var STREAM_STATUS = Flashphoner.constants.STREAM_STATUS; var session; var PRELOADER_URL = "https://github.com/flashphoner/flashphoner_client/raw/wcs_api-2.0/examples/demo/dependencies/media/preloader.mp4";
2. We initialize the API when loading the HTML page and connect to the WCS server via WebSocket. In this example, we are using our demo server. To test your own server, replace “wss://demo.flashphoner.com” with your WCS address:
function init_api() {
Flashphoner.init({});
//Connect to WCS server over websockets
session = Flashphoner.createSession({
urlServer: "wss://demo.flashphoner.com" //specify the address of your WCS
}).on(SESSION_STATUS.ESTABLISHED, function(session) {
console.log("ESTABLISHED");
});
startBtn.onclick = startClick;
}
3. We detect the browser, and if the browser is Safari, we launch the preloader. Playback should start strictly upon a user’s gesture (i.e. button click). This is limitation of mobile Safari browsers. More:
var Browser = {
isSafari: function() {
return /^((?!chrome|android).)*safari/i.test(navigator.userAgent);
},
}
function startClick() {
if (Browser.isSafari()) {
Flashphoner.playFirstVideo(document.getElementById("play"), true, PRELOADER_URL).then(function() {
publishStream();
playStream();
});
} else {
publishStream();
playStream();
}
}
4. Next, create a stream session.createStream() and pass the name of our stream “stream1” and the HTML element “local” as parameters. We publish a stream with these parameters. In the first div on the web page will be displayed your local stream:
function publishStream() {
session.createStream({
name: "stream1",
display: document.getElementById("local"),
}).publish();
}
5. In the second div of the web page, the stream of your interlocutor will be played. Specify the name of the interlocutor’s stream “stream2” in the parameters of the function session.createStream() and the HTML element “remote”:
function playStream() {
session.createStream({
name: "stream2",
display: document.getElementById("remote"),
}).play();
}
The full JavaScript code looks as follows (file “video-chat-min.js”):
var SESSION_STATUS = Flashphoner.constants.SESSION_STATUS;
var STREAM_STATUS = Flashphoner.constants.STREAM_STATUS;
var session;
var PRELOADER_URL = "https://github.com/flashphoner/flashphoner_client/raw/wcs_api-2.0/examples/demo/dependencies/media/preloader.mp4";
function init_api() {
Flashphoner.init({});
//Connect to WCS server over websockets
session = Flashphoner.createSession({
urlServer: "wss://demo.flashphoner.com" //specify the address of your WCS
}).on(SESSION_STATUS.ESTABLISHED, function(session) {
console.log("ESTABLISHED");
});
startBtn.onclick = startClick;
}
//Detect browser
var Browser = {
isSafari: function() {
return /^((?!chrome|android).)*safari/i.test(navigator.userAgent);
},
}
function startClick() {
if (Browser.isSafari()) {
Flashphoner.playFirstVideo(document.getElementById("play"), true, PRELOADER_URL).then(function() {
publishStream();
playStream();
});
} else {
publishStream();
playStream();
}
}
//Publish local stream
function publishStream() {
session.createStream({
name: "stream1",
display: document.getElementById("local"),
}).publish();
}
//Play remote stream
function playStream() {
session.createStream({
name: "stream2",
display: document.getElementById("remote"),
}).play();
}
Download minimal examples
1. Download archive. 2. Unpack the example files to your Web server. Default directory for Apache: for Nginx: or see the documentation for your web server. 3. Run the minimal example in a browser using a link like Warning! The web page must be opened via https to get examples working./var/www/html
/usr/local/nginx/html
https://your.web.server/min-example-file-name.html
Download Web Call Server 5
System requirements: Linux x86_64, 1 core CPU, 2 Gb RAM, Java
Installation:
- wget https://flashphoner.com/download-wcs5.2-server.tar.gz
- Unpack and install using 'install.sh'
- Launch server using command 'service webcallserver start'
- Open the web interface https://host:8444 and activate your license
If you are using Amazon EC2, you don't need to download anything.
