Helios Group Communications API

⚠️ WARNING: This is a first version of Helios Group Communications API. Implementation is missing at this point. Important changes are expected to happen in the future.

Introduction

The Group Communication API offers a set of functionalities for handling one-on-one and group communications over the p2p Helios network. It offers a Decentralized Group Management Protocol and supports different types of Groups (Forums & Secret Forums) and role assignment and management.

API usage

See javadocs in javadoc directory

Dependencies

This module depends on several Helios Core Modules found under eu.h2020.helios_social.core.

PrivateConversationManager

PrivateConversationManager is responsible for handling one-on-one communications. Some usage examples can be found below.

PrivateConversationManager conversationManager = new PrivateConversationManagerImpl();
//this method is called when a peer is added as a contact to create a new Group (groups are explained below)
Group conversation = conversationManager.addingContact(contactPeer);
//return all conversation Message(s) with the given peer
Collection<Message> conversation = conversationManager.getAllMessages(contactPeer.getId());
//deletes all messages related with the given peer
conversationManager.deleteAllMessages(contactPeer.getId());
//returns the private conversation identifier with the given peer
GroupId conversationId = conversationManager.getConversationId(anotherPeer);

ForumManager

ForumManager is responsible for handling group conversations that can be considered public and they can be shared. Four different roles are supported: administrator, moderator, participant & blocked. ForumFactory is responsible for creating Forum instances and is given as input to the constructor of ForumManager. Some usage examples can be found below.

ForumManager forumManager = new ForumManagerImpl(new ForumFactoryImpl());
//Create a new forum with the given name
Forum forum = forumManager.addForum("Helios Developers");
//Return user role in the given forum
ForumMemberRole role = forumManager.getRole(forum.getId());
//Returns all forums the peer is subscribed too
Set<Forum> subscribedForums = forumManager.getAllForums();
//Returns all forumMembers of the given forum
Set<ForumMember> forumMembers = forumManager.getForumMembers(forum.getId());
//subcribes to the given forum
forumManager.subscribeToForum(anotherForum);
//unsubscribed from the given forum
forumManager.unsubcribesFromForum(anotherForum);

SecretForumManager

SecretForumManager is responsible for handling private group conversations that can not be shared. The creator of the SecretForum is the administrator and decides who is blocked and the only peer that can invite new participants and delete the conversation. SecretForumFactory is responsible for creating SecretForum instances and it is given as input to the constructor of SecretForumManager. Some usage examples can be found below.

SecretForumManager secretForumManager = new SecretForumManagerImpl(new SecretForumFactoryImpl());
//Create a new secret forum with the given name
SecretForum secretForum = secretForumManager.addSecretForum("Helios WP5 Task Leaders");
//Returns all secret forums the peer is a member too
Set<SecretForum> secretForums = secretForumManager.getAllSecretForums();
//Returns all members of the given secret forum
Set<SecretForumMember> secretForumMembers = secretForumManager.getSecretForumMembers(forum.getId());
//joins a Secret Forum
forumManager.joinsSecretForum(anotherForum);
//deletes the given Secret Forum from his/her conversations
forumManager.deletesSecretForum(anotherForum);

SharingManager

SharingManager is responsible for handling sharing of different types communications (Forums, SecretForums). Some usage examples can be found below.

SharingManager sharingManager = new SharingManagerImpl();
//sends an invitation to share the given group with the given peer
sharingManager.sendInvitation(forum.getId(), contactPeer.getId(), "I would like to invite you to this cool forum", timestamp);
//peer's response to group invitation
sharingManager.respondToInvitation(forum.getId(), peer.getId(), true);
//returns the peer Identifiers of the contacts the given group is shared with
Collection<PeerId> sharedToPeers = sharingManager.isSharedWith(forum.getId());

Group

Group can be considered as an independent synchonization scope that includes one or more peers. Forums, SecretForums extend Group class that have more specific properties. GroupId represents group's Identifier

Group group = new Group(groupId);

Message

Message object represents a message shared in a specific Group (sychronization scope). MessageBody represents the body of the message (can be text/attachment/anything else). MessageId represents message's Identifier

Message message = new Message(messageId, group.getId(), timestamp, messageBody);

Android Studio project structure

This Android Studio 3.5 project contains the following components:

• app - test application (nothing there yet)

• javadoc - Additional documentation files

• groupcommunications - Group Communications API implementation