node.js store objects in redis

Question

Here is the thing - I want to store native JS (node.js) objects (flash sockets references) in redis under a certain key. When I do that with simple client.set() it's stored as a string. When I try to get value I get [object Object] - just a string.

Any chance to get this working? Here's my code:

  addSocket : function(sid, socket) {
    client.set(sid, socket);
  },

  getSocket : function(sid) {
    client.get(sid, function(err, reply) {
      // cant't get an object here. All I get is useless string
    });
  },

Answer 1

well if you think about it javascript objects are keys who's values may reference other objects, and in the case of sockets possibly native objects. So if redis is external to the executing javascript how will it be able to store a reference to to that object?

// a and b exist inside the executing javascript, not in the external O/S
a = {}
b = {}

var obj = {
  'one': a,
  'two': b
}

// how can redis possibly store references to obj, a or b when this application exits?
redis.set('obj', obj)

// same as..
redis.set('obj', obj.toString()) /*or*/ redis.set('obj', "" + obj)

// same as..
redis.set('obj', "[object Object]")


// the trick is to stringify the object
redis.set('obj', JSON.stringify(obj))

// same as..
redis.set('obj', "{'one':{},'two':{}}")

// here redis does not have to store the actual object references but rather a json string representing the object

// this could also work
redis.set('obj', "{'one':a,'two':b}")

// where you would then do:
obj = eval(redis.get('obj')) 
// provided that a and b have already been initialized