Real-Time Communication with WebRTC: Peer-to-Peer in the Browser

by Salvatore Loreto, Simon Pietro Romano

Overview

Deliver rich audio and video real-time communication and peer-to-peer data exchange right in the browser, without the need for proprietary plug-ins. This concise hands-on guide shows you how to use the emerging Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) technology to build a browser-to-browser application, piece by piece.

The authors’ learn-by-example approach is perfect for web programmers looking to understand real-time communication, and telecommunications architects unfamiliar with HTML5 and JavaScript-based client-server web programming. You’ll use a ten-step recipe to create a complete WebRTC system, with exercises that you can apply to your own projects.

• Tour the WebRTC development cycle and trapezoid architectural model
• Understand how and why VoIP is shifting from standalone functionality to a browser component
• Use mechanisms that let client-side web apps interact with browsers through the WebRTC API
• Transfer streaming data between browser peers with the RTCPeerConnection API
• Create a signaling channel between peers for setting up a WebRTC session
• Put everything together to create a basic WebRTC system from scratch
• Learn about conferencing, authorization, and other advanced WebRTC features

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781449371838
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/16/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	164
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Salvatore Loreto works as a senior scientist at NomadicLab's MultiMedia Technology branch, which is part of Ericsson Research in Finland. He works on standardization, research projects and strategy related to the Internet in general and in particular VoIP, Media & Web Communication and Internet of Things (IoT).

Simon Pietro Romano is Assistant Professor at the DIS (Information & System Department) of the University of Napoli Federico II.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

1 Introduction 1

Web Architecture 1

WebRTC Architecture 2

WebRTC in the Browser 3

Signaling 5

WebRTC API 5

MediaStream 6

PeerConnection 7

DataChannel 8

A Simple Example 9

2 Handling Media in the Browser 11

WebRTC in 10 Steps 11

Media Capture and Streams 12

MediaStream API 12

Obtaining Local Multimedia Content 13

URL 13

Playing with the getUserMedia() API 13

The Media Model 19

Media Constraints 19

Using Constraints 19

3 Building the Browser RTC Trapezoid: A Local Perspective 25

Using PeerConnection Objects Locally: An Example 27

Starting the Application 32

Placing a Call 36

Hanging Up 44

Adding a DataChannel to a Local PeerConnection 46

Starting Up the Application 51

Streaming Text Across the Data Channel 57

Closing the Application 60

4 The Need for a Signaling Channel 63

Building Up a Simple Call Flow 63

Creating the Signaling Channel 72

Joining the Signaling Channel 76

Starting a Server-Mediated Conversation 79

Continuing to Chat Across the Channel 82

Closing the Signaling Channel 85

5 Putting It All Together: Your First WebRTC System from Scratch 91

A Complete WebRTC Call Flow 91

Initiator Joining the Channel 104

Joiner Joining the Channel 110

Initiator Starting Negotiation 112

Joiner Managing Initiator's Offer 115

ICE Candidate Exchanging 117

Joiner's Answer 121

Going Peer-to-Peer! 123

Using the Data Channel 125

A Quick Look at the Chrome WebRTC Internals Tool 129

6 An Introduction to WebRTC API's Advanced Features 133

Conferencing 133

Identity and Authentication 134

Peer-to-Peer DTMF 135

Statistics Model 136

A. WebRTC 1.0 APIs 139

Index 145

Editorial Reviews

Q&A with Simon Pietro Romano, co-author of "Real-Time Communication with WebRTC"

Q. Why is your book important right now?
A. This is the right book at the right time! WebRTC is gaining more and more momentum and we do believe this is the first WebRTC book based on a pure learn-by-example approach.

Q. What do you hope your readers walk away with?
A. Readers will walk away with an irrepressible desire of putting their hands on the real thing and start building their own WebRTC app.

Q. What’s the most exciting or important thing happening in your space?
A. With this stuff you can put Web and VoIP together in a seamless fashion. You'll find out that YOU are the engineer of the future killer applications of the Internet!

From the Publisher