Django Channels Router (Backend, PyPI)

A lightweight Django + Channels router that lets your WebSocket consumers behave like HTTP endpoints.
Designed to pair seamlessly with @djanext/observable-socket.

Features

• 🧭 Route names → handler methods (sayHello → on_say_hello)
• ⚡ Both sync & async consumers
• 🧩 Optional hydrate / dehydrate functions
• 🔁 Built-in heartbeat support (PING/PONG)
• 📦 Typed results and HTTP-style status codes

Requirements

• Python ≥ 3.11
• Django ≥ 4.2
• Channels ≥ 4.0
• Redis (or any supported channel layer)

Installation

pip install django-channels-router

In your project:

# routing.py
from django.urls import re_path
from .consumer import AppSocket

websocket_urlpatterns = [
    re_path(r"ws/app/$", AppSocket.as_asgi()),
]

Example Consumer

from django_channels_router import SocketRouterConsumer, StatusCodes



def can_load_article(scope, fetched_data):

class AppSocket(SocketRouterConsumer):
    @SocketRouterConsumer.routes.setter
    def routes(self, _):
        self._routes = [
            {"route": "sayHello"},
            {"route": "getArticle",
             ""
             "hydrate": lambda headers, p: load_article(p["id"]),
             "dehydrate": lambda art: {"id": art.id, "title": art.title}
             },
        ]

    def on_say_hello(self, payload, headers):
        name = (payload or {}).get("name", "World")
        return {"status": StatusCodes.OK, "payload": f"Hello, {name}!"}

Async Example

from django_channels_router import AsyncSocketRouterConsumer

class AppSocketAsync(AsyncSocketRouterConsumer):
    @AsyncSocketRouterConsumer.routes.setter
    def routes(self, _):
        self._routes = [{"route": "sayHello"}]

    async def on_say_hello(self, payload, headers):
        return {"status": 200, "payload": {"msg": "Hello async!"}}

Serializing and Deserializing of messages

hydrate and dehydrate functions helps to focus only on logic part as these functions will handle deserializing and serializing automatically. To use them, first you need to implement the converters (loader, serializer, ...)

def load_article(headers, payload) -> Article | None:
    try:
        article_id = headers.get('id')
        if not article_id:
            return None
        return Article.objects.get(id=article_id) # assume id is of type string like uuid
    except Article.DoesNotExist:
        return None

def deserialize(headers, payload) -> Article | None:
    try:
        serializer = ArticleSerializer(data=payload)
        serializer.is_valid(raise_exception=True)
        return serializer.save()
    except serializers.ValidationError:
        return None

def serialize(article: Article) -> str:
    serializer = ArticleSerializer(article)
    return serializer.data

now these converters can be used as follows:

    class ArticleConsumer(SocketRouterConsumer):
        routes = [
            {route: get, hydrate: load_article, dehydrate: serialize},
            {route: create, hydrate: deserialize, dehydrate: serialize}
        ]
        
        def on_get(headers, payload):
            return {
                payload: payload, 
                # article gets fetched from DB in background using the `load_article` function
                # dehydrate will automatically serilize the article by running `serialize` function
                status: StatusCodes.OK if payload else StatusCodes.NOT_FOUND 
            }
            
        def on_create(headers, payload):
            if not payload: # deserialize function has returned None
                return {
                    payload: "Unable to create article",
                    status: StatusCodes.BAD_REQUEST
                }
                
            return {
                payload: payload,
                status: StatusCodes.CREATED
            }

Note:

dehydrate function only applies if returned status code by user is 200 series. (199 < status code < 300)

Status Codes

Good Practices

• Always accept() connections in connect() / await accept().
• Access result.get("payload") safely — avoid missing keys.
• Use @classmethod route definitions if you plan to reuse the router base.
• Keep payload JSON-serializable.

Frontend Client

Pair with @djanext/observable-socket
→ Handles auto-reconnect, multiple sockets, and sendAndWait() with Promises.

License

MIT