Run Django app and also connect to a websocket

Using Django
1

I want to run my Django app as normal but at the same time also connect to a websocket and use the data that is coming from there. Is it possible to do both of these at the same time using ASGI?

2

If you’re looking for a websocket connection, you want to look at Channels.

3

I’ve looked at Channels and it seems to add a huge amount of architectural complexity for what should maybe just be a small feature? I would prefer to avoid it.

I was under the impression that ASGI would obsolete Channels? Is that false?

4

There may be some overlap of functionality between ASGI and Channels, but it won’t obsolete it - there are some distinctions between the two. Current Django/ASGI is still built around the “request/response” model, even if the Views are starting to be able to process asynchronously.

That “small feature” as you describe it is a completely different protocol - you’re no longer working with discrete requests but with continual data streams creating event-driven interactions.

Ken

1 Like
5

I’m not sure whether it’s fully incompatible. Or at least I hope there’s a way.

I think I’ve seen a tutorial run a websocket server in the same process by patching asgi.py. I guess that works by multiplexing on the same host:port combination based on what you get?

The Django docs hint at being able to compose apps using ASGI but it’s a throw away sentence more than anything else. (Anything more on that? Or could somebody help me add it?)

For my use case, I need my app to be able to connect to a websocket in parallel to running the web app. Maybe that’ll be easier by composing one await loop next to the main Django app?

6

Specifically there’s this tutorial: https://dev.to/jaydenwindle/adding-websockets-to-your-django-app-with-no-extra-dependencies-2f6h

7

There’s this tutorial that does Websockets from just Django: https://dev.to/jaydenwindle/adding-websockets-to-your-django-app-with-no-extra-dependencies-2f6h

8

Any luck on this? Did you end up following something similar to the article you posted? I’m trying to accomplish something very similar in my django app.

9

You should track the other conversation here: Add a websocket client to Django (not a server)