actioncable

library0.2.0jsnpmunverified

Action Cable is the WebSocket framework integrated into Ruby on Rails, providing real-time communication capabilities for Rails applications. The npm package 'actioncable' (current stable version 5.2.8-1, though the Rails ecosystem recommends using the latest 7.x or 8.x series) is the JavaScript client library that connects to an Action Cable server. It allows developers to subscribe to channels and receive broadcasts in the browser or any JavaScript runtime. Key differentiators: tight integration with Rails (session/cookie-based authentication, same MVC patterns), full-stack offering with both server- and client-side components, and pub-sub streaming model. Release cadence follows Rails releases, with frequent minor and patch updates. Alternatives include pure WebSocket libraries or Pusher, but Action Cable is the default for Rails real-time features.

web-framework http-networking

npm install actioncable

github ↗package ↗homepage ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · ACTIONCABLE

actioncable

web-frameworkjavascriptv0.2.0

Install

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Import

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Disk

—

Pass rate

0/ 6

Env Coverage0 / 6

glibc

18–22

musl

18–22

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · npm install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

node 18–226 runs

build_error

glibc

node 18–226 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

ActionCable

✓ import ActionCable from 'actioncable'

✗ const ActionCable = require('actioncable')

Default import works with both ESM and CJS environments. For TypeScript, use `import ActionCable from 'actioncable'` with esModuleInterop enabled.

createConsumer

✓ import { createConsumer } from 'actioncable'

✗ import { createConsumer } from '@rails/actioncable'

Named export available since v5.2.0. Prefer over default import for tree-shaking.

Consumer

✓ import type { Consumer } from 'actioncable'

✗ import { Consumer } from 'actioncable'

Consumer is a TypeScript interface, not a class. Use type import to avoid runtime errors.

createWebSocketURL

✓ import { createWebSocketURL } from 'actioncable'

✗ import { createWebSocketURL } from 'actioncable/lib'

Utility function for building WebSocket URLs. Import directly from package root.

Shows how to create a consumer, subscribe to a channel, handle lifecycle events, send data, and clean up.

import ActionCable from 'actioncable'; const cable = ActionCable.createConsumer('ws://localhost:3000/cable'); const subscription = cable.subscriptions.create('ChatChannel', { connected() { console.log('Connected to ChatChannel'); }, disconnected() { console.log('Disconnected'); }, received(data) { console.log('Received:', data); } }); // Send data to server (requires server-side handling) subscription.send({ message: 'Hello!' }); // Unsubscribe when done subscription.unsubscribe(); cable.disconnect();

Debug

Known issues

breakingActionCable.createConsumer() no longer accepts a function as argument; must pass a URL string or omit for default.

fix

Pass a string URL or call without arguments to use the default from meta tags.

affects: >=5.0.0

deprecatedThe package @rails/actioncable (npm) is deprecated in favor of the actioncable package (npm).

fix

Use import from 'actioncable' instead of '@rails/actioncable'. Both publish the same code, but actioncable is the canonical name.

affects: >=5.2.0

gotchaImporting 'actioncable' in Node.js without a WebSocket polyfill will throw: 'WebSocket is not defined'.

fix

Install 'ws' package and set global.WebSocket = require('ws'); or use a bundler that polyfills WebSocket.

affects: >=5.0.0

gotchaTypeScript definitions are not included; you must install @types/actioncable separately.

fix

Run 'npm install --save-dev @types/actioncable' to get type definitions.

affects: >=5.0.0

breakingActionCable.Connection and ActionCable.Subscription are no longer publicly accessible; use createConsumer and subscriptions.create.

fix

Use the top-level API: ActionCable.createConsumer() and subscription methods.

affects: >=5.0.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

WebSocket is not defined

Running in Node.js environment where WebSocket is not globally available.

fix

Install the 'ws' package and add: global.WebSocket = require('ws'); before importing ActionCable.

Module not found: Can't resolve '@rails/actioncable'

Importing from deprecated package name @rails/actioncable.

fix

Change import to 'actioncable'.

TypeError: ActionCable.createConsumer is not a function

Using the wrong import (e.g., importing default incorrectly or using a very old version).

fix

Use import ActionCable from 'actioncable' for default import, and ensure the version is >=5.0.0.

Cannot find module 'actioncable' or its corresponding type declarations.

TypeScript cannot find type definitions.

fix

Install @types/actioncable as a devDependency: npm install --save-dev @types/actioncable.

Upgrade

Version history

0.2.0latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

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Resources

githubhttps://github.com/rails/rails ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/actioncable ↗

homepagehttps://rubyonrails.org/ ↗