14.x Node.js reference

Configuration

Configure the Node.js trust boundary before creating an endpoint. Parser and hot-path handlers are selected once per client or server, not polled for every message.

14.x starter

import ipc from 'node-ipc';

ipc.config.id = 'orders';
ipc.config.silent = true;
ipc.config.parser = 'guarded';
ipc.config.retry = 500;
ipc.config.maxConnections = 100;

Construction is the boundary.

Set profile, limits, TLS, logging, and socket-root policy before connect*() or serve*(). Existing endpoints keep the handlers selected at construction.

Choose a profile Parser contract Migration guide

Identity and local sockets

Key	Default	Purpose
`id`	OS hostname	Service or process identifier.
`appspace`	`app.`	Namespace prefix combined with the socket root and service id.
`socketRoot`	Per-user runtime path	Uses `$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/node-ipc` when available, otherwise an owner-specific temporary directory; Windows uses a per-user logical pipe prefix.
`secureSocketRoot`	`true`	Creates and verifies an owner-only Unix socket root and is required by Assured. Assured local server endpoints must be direct children; clients must verify endpoint ownership. Other profiles may disable it only when the application owns equivalent checks.
`readableAll`	`false`	Requests a local pipe readable by all users or Windows services.
`writableAll`	`false`	Requests a local pipe writable by all users or Windows services.
`unlink`	`true`	Removes an existing socket path before binding. Clustered ownership may require `false`.

Network

Key	Default	Purpose
`networkHost`	`127.0.0.1` or `::1`	Default TCP, TLS, or UDP host; stays on loopback.
`networkPort`	`8000`	Default network port.
`IPType`	Detected	Chooses the initial IPv4 or IPv6 loopback default.
`maxConnections`	`100`	Maximum concurrent stream connections.
`interface`	All fields `false`	Optional `localAddress`, `localPort`, `family`, `hints`, and `lookup` socket-connect settings.
`tls`	`false`	TLS options object. Assured clients require key/cert/trusted CA verification; Assured servers require a trusted client CA, `requestCert:true`, and `rejectUnauthorized:true`.

Messages and limits

Key	Default	Purpose
`parser`	`fast`	`raw`, `fast`, `guarded`, `assured`, or a custom parser class/object. Selected once for each endpoint.
`identifyPeer`	`false`	Opt-in legacy server lookup of `data.id`. Selected once; the caller-supplied value is not authenticated identity.
`encoding`	`utf8`	Encoding for non-Buffer Raw writes. Built-in framed profiles always use UTF-8; custom parsers should return Buffers for another wire encoding.
`rawBuffer`	`false`	Compatibility switch for Raw. Incoming Buffers pass through the `data` event with no framing or validation.
`delimiter`	`\f`	Frame terminator for Fast, Guarded, and Assured.
`maxMessageSize`	`1048576`	Guarded/Assured maximum complete or buffered frame bytes.
`maxPendingBytes`	`8388608`	Guarded/Assured maximum queued stream-write bytes before the connection is closed.
`maxEventNameLength`	`256`	Guarded/Assured event-name character limit.
`messageTimeout`	`30000`	Guarded/Assured incomplete-frame deadline in milliseconds; `0` disables it.
`allowReservedEvents`	`false`	Guarded-only compatibility escape hatch. Assured always rejects lifecycle names.
`allowedEvents`	`false`	Required non-empty `Array` or `Set` for Assured; applied to sent and received event names.
`sync`	`false`	Queues client sends until the server replies.

Reconnect policy

Key	Default	Purpose
`retry`	`500` ms	Delay between stream reconnection attempts.
`maxRetries`	`Infinity`	Maximum reconnect attempts after a disconnect; `0` disables reconnects.
`stopRetrying`	`false`	Boolean switch; `true` stops scheduled and future reconnect attempts.

Logging

Key	Default	Purpose
`silent`	`false`	Disables library logging when true.
`logger`	`console.log`	Receives one formatted string.
`logInColor`	`true`	Enables inspected-object colors.
`logDepth`	`5`	Object inspection depth.
`logPayloads`	`false`	Selects payload-aware logging when an endpoint is created. Leave off unless policy permits content logging.

Logs cross trust boundaries.

Leave payload logging off in production unless the data classification and retention policy explicitly allow it.

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