SAMP Web Profile

This page provides documentation, examples and supporting materials for the SAMP Web Profile. SAMP is the Simple Application Messaging Protocol: see the IVOA Standard and additional material.

The Web Profile allows web applications (applications running within a browser, for instance javascript on a web page) to communicate with SAMP-capable desktop-based tools such as Aladin or TOPCAT, or with other SAMP-aware web apps.

Documentation

The Web Profile is currently defined as part of the SAMP 1.3 Proposed Recommendation - see Section 5 of that document. That means that the protocol is not yet finalised, but it is expected that applications which implement it in its currently proposed form will work with the finalised form (promotion to Recommendation stage is anticipated in early 2012).

You can also see an HTTP log of a short example session (generated using "-web:log http" option of the JSAMP hub).

Hubs

A dual-profile hub is available as part of JSAMP version 1.2 and later (1.3-1 and later recommended). Run it in one of these ways:

• webstart version: just click to run if you have java WebStart installed; note the certificate is signed by Peter Draper.
• jsamp-1.3-1.jar: download and run (java -jar).
• Run TOPCAT v3.9 or later. Download the jar file or use WebStart.

This hub implements both Standard Profile and Web Profile. This means that clients of both types can communicate seamlessly with each other. See the JSAMP documentation

SAMPy (Luigi Paioro's Python SAMP implementation) also supports the Web Profile by offering a dual-profile hub since version 1.2.1.

Demonstration Clients

Here are a couple of experimental javascript clients which run in the browser sandbox and use the Web Profile perform 2-way SAMP communications. You must have the Web Profile hub (above) running for them to work.

Toys:

• Client Monitor
• Table Viewer
• Link Broadcaster
• Sample

Experimental science pages:

• VizieR search (Thomas Boch)

These use the SAMP javascript library samp.js. This is undocumented and scrappy, but feel free to take a look if you like. It has been used by various web pages as the basis for Web SAMP capabilities.

Compatibility

Clients so far tested:

• Firefox 3.0: OK (requires Flash)
• Firefox 3.6: OK (pure JavaScript)
• Internet Explorer 6: OK (requires Flash)
• Internet Explorer 8: OK (pure JScript)
• Chrome 7.0: OK (pure JavaScript)
• Safari 3.2: OK (requires Flash - no cross-domain controls?)
• Safari 5.0: OK (pure JavaScript)
• Opera: not working

Any other reports welcome.