smartping/readme.md

# @push.rocks/smartping

Small, typed, promise-first ping checks for Node.js. `@push.rocks/smartping` wraps the proven [`ping`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/ping) package behind a tiny TypeScript API, so service health checks, diagnostics, readiness probes, and connectivity tests stay easy to read.

It uses the system `ping` command through the underlying dependency, so it is designed for Node.js environments with a working platform ping utility available.

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## Install

```bash
pnpm add @push.rocks/smartping
```

## What You Get

- `Smartping`: a lightweight class for probing hosts.
- `ping(host, timeout?)`: returns the full ping response from the underlying `ping.promise.probe(...)` call.
- `pingAlive(host, timeout?)`: returns a boolean and converts ping failures into `false`.
- TypeScript types, ESM exports, and direct async/await ergonomics.

## Quick Start

```typescript
import { Smartping } from '@push.rocks/smartping';

const smartping = new Smartping();

const response = await smartping.ping('127.0.0.1', 1);

console.log(response.alive); // true when the host responded
console.log(response.time);  // response time reported by the platform ping utility
```

## API

### `new Smartping()`

Creates a ping helper instance. The class is intentionally stateless, so you can create one per module, per service, or per check without setup.

```typescript
import { Smartping } from '@push.rocks/smartping';

const smartping = new Smartping();
```

### `smartping.ping(host, timeout?)`

Runs a ping probe and returns the full response object from `ping.promise.probe(...)`.

```typescript
const result = await smartping.ping('example.com', 2);

if (result.alive) {
  console.log(`${result.host} responded in ${result.time}`);
} else {
  console.log(`${result.host} did not respond`);
}
```

The `timeout` argument is passed to the underlying `ping` package as `timeout`, where it is documented as seconds. If omitted, `@push.rocks/smartping` uses its default value of `500`.

### `smartping.pingAlive(host, timeout?)`

Runs a ping probe and returns only the alive state.

```typescript
const databaseHostIsReachable = await smartping.pingAlive('10.0.0.5', 1);

if (!databaseHostIsReachable) {
  throw new Error('Database host is not reachable');
}
```

`pingAlive(...)` is useful for health checks because it catches probe errors and returns `false` instead of throwing.

## Usage Patterns

### Service Health Check

```typescript
import { Smartping } from '@push.rocks/smartping';

const smartping = new Smartping();

export const checkNetworkDependency = async () => {
  return smartping.pingAlive('api.internal.example', 1);
};
```

### Diagnostics With Full Response Data

```typescript
import { Smartping } from '@push.rocks/smartping';

const smartping = new Smartping();

const hosts = ['127.0.0.1', 'example.com', '10.0.0.5'];

for (const host of hosts) {
  const result = await smartping.ping(host, 1);
  console.log({
    host,
    alive: result.alive,
    output: result.output,
    time: result.time,
  });
}
```

### Graceful Failure Handling

```typescript
import { Smartping } from '@push.rocks/smartping';

const smartping = new Smartping();

try {
  const result = await smartping.ping('example.com', 1);
  console.log(result);
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Ping probe failed before producing a response:', error);
}
```

Use `ping(...)` when you need response details and want to decide how to handle errors yourself. Use `pingAlive(...)` when a simple `true` or `false` is the desired contract.

## Runtime Notes

- This package targets Node.js and ESM-based TypeScript projects.
- The underlying `ping` package delegates to the operating system ping command.
- Hosts can be DNS names or IP addresses accepted by the platform ping utility.
- Timeout behavior is inherited from `ping`, including platform-specific details around system ping arguments.

## License and Legal Information

This repository contains open-source code licensed under the MIT License. A copy of the license can be found in the [LICENSE](./LICENSE) file.

**Please note:** The MIT License does not grant permission to use the trade names, trademarks, service marks, or product names of the project, except as required for reasonable and customary use in describing the origin of the work and reproducing the content of the NOTICE file.

### Trademarks

This project is owned and maintained by Task Venture Capital GmbH. The names and logos associated with Task Venture Capital GmbH and any related products or services are trademarks of Task Venture Capital GmbH or third parties, and are not included within the scope of the MIT license granted herein.

Use of these trademarks must comply with Task Venture Capital GmbH's Trademark Guidelines or the guidelines of the respective third-party owners, and any usage must be approved in writing. Third-party trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners and used only in a descriptive manner, e.g. for an implementation of an API or similar.

### Company Information

Task Venture Capital GmbH  
Registered at District Court Bremen HRB 35230 HB, Germany

For any legal inquiries or further information, please contact us via email at hello@task.vc.

By using this repository, you acknowledge that you have read this section, agree to comply with its terms, and understand that the licensing of the code does not imply endorsement by Task Venture Capital GmbH of any derivative works.