Merge pull request quarkusio#44556 from cescoffier/websocket-next-sub…

…scription

Extend websocket next documentation to explain when and when not to subscribe to a Uni or Multi

docs/src/main/asciidoc/websockets-next-reference.adoc

@@ -267,7 +267,29 @@ However, it may also accept the following parameters:
 The message object represents the data sent and can be accessed as either raw content (`String`, `JsonObject`, `JsonArray`, `Buffer` or `byte[]`) or deserialized high-level objects, which is the recommended approach.
 
 When receiving a `Multi`, the method is invoked once per connection, and the provided `Multi` receives the items transmitted by this connection.
-The method must subscribe to the `Multi` to receive these items (or return a Multi).
+If the method returns a `Multi` (constructed from the received one), Quarkus will automatically subscribe to it and write the emitted items until completion, failure, or cancellation.
+However, if your method does not return a `Multi`, you must subscribe to the incoming `Multi` to consume the data.
+
+Here are two examples:
+
+[source,java]
+----
+// No need to subscribe to the incoming Multi as the method returns a Multi derived from the incoming one
+@OnTextMessage
+public Multi<ChatMessage> stream(Multi<ChatMessage> incoming) {
+    return incoming.log();
+}
+
+// ...
+
+// Must subscribe to the incoming Multi as the method does not return a Multi, otherwise no data will be consumed
+@OnTextMessage
+public void stream(Multi<ChatMessage> incoming) {
+    incoming.subscribe().with(item -> log(item));
+}
+----
+
+See <<subscribe-or-not-subscribe>> to learn more about subscribing to the incoming `Multi`.
 
 ==== Supported return types
 
@@ -319,7 +341,9 @@ Multi<ResponseMessage> stream(Message m) {
 }
 ----
 
-When returning a Multi, Quarkus subscribes to the returned Multi automatically and writes the emitted items until completion, failure, or cancellation. Failure or cancellation terminates the connection.
+Methods returning `Uni` and `Multi` are considered non-blocking.
+In addition, Quarkus automatically subscribes to the returned `Multi` / `Uni` and writes the emitted items until completion, failure, or cancellation.
+Failure or cancellation terminates the connection.
 
 ==== Streams
 
@@ -340,7 +364,8 @@ public Multi<ChatMessage> stream(Multi<ChatMessage> incoming) {
 
 This approach allows bi-directional streaming.
 
-When the method returns `void`, it must subscribe to the incoming `Multi`:
+When the method returns `void`, and so does not return a `Multi`, the code must subscribe to the incoming `Multi`.
+Otherwise, no data will be consumed, and the connection will not be closed:
 
 [source, java]
 ----
@@ -350,6 +375,10 @@ public void stream(Multi<ChatMessage> incoming) {
 }
 ----
 
+Also note that the `stream` method will complete before the `Multi` completes.
+
+See <<subscribe-or-not-subscribe>> to learn more about subscribing to the incoming `Multi`.
+
 ==== Skipping reply
 
 When a method is intended to produce a message written to the client, it can emit `null`.
@@ -636,7 +665,19 @@ String param = connection.pathParam("foo");
 The `WebSocketConnection` provides both a blocking and a non-blocking method variants to send messages:
 
 - `sendTextAndAwait(String message)`: Sends a text message to the client and waits for the message to be sent. It's blocking and should only be called from an executor thread.
-- `sendText(String message)`: Sends a text message to the client. It returns a `Uni`. It's non-blocking, but you must subscribe to it.
+- `sendText(String message)`: Sends a text message to the client. It returns a `Uni`. It's non-blocking. Make sure you or Quarkus subscribes to the returned `Uni` to send the message.
+If you return the `Uni` from a method invoked by Quarkus (like with Quarkus REST, Quarkus WebSocket Next or Quarkus Messaging), it will subscribe to it and send the message.
+For example:
+
+[source,java]
+----
+@POST
+public Uni<Void> send() {
+    return connection.sendText("Hello!"); // Quarkus automatically subscribes to the returned Uni and sends the message.
+}
+----
+
+See <<subscribe-or-not-subscribe>> to learn more about subscribing to the `Uni`.
 
 [[list-open-connections]]
 ==== List open connections
@@ -655,7 +696,7 @@ class MyBean {
   OpenConnections connections;
 
   void logAllOpenConnections() {
-     Log.infof("Open connections: %s", connections.listAll()); <1>
+     Log.infof("Open connections: %s", connections.listAll()); // <1>
   }
 }
 ----
@@ -1078,7 +1119,17 @@ String param = connection.pathParam("foo");
 The `WebSocketClientConnection` provides both a blocking and a non-blocking method variants to send messages:
 
 - `sendTextAndAwait(String message)`: Sends a text message to the client and waits for the message to be sent. It's blocking and should only be called from an executor thread.
-- `sendText(String message)`: Sends a text message to the client. It returns a `Uni`. It's non-blocking, but you must subscribe to it.
+- `sendText(String message)`: Sends a text message to the client. It returns a `Uni`. It's non-blocking. Make sure you or Quarkus subscribes to the returned `Uni` to send the message.
+If you return the `Uni` from a method invoked by Quarkus (like with Quarkus REST, Quarkus WebSocket Next or Quarkus Messaging), it will subscribe to it and send the message.
+For example:
+
+[source,java]
+----
+@POST
+public Uni<Void> send() {
+    return connection.sendText("Hello!"); // Quarkus automatically subscribes to the returned Uni and sends the message.
+}
+----
 
 [[list-open-client-connections]]
 ==== List open client connections
@@ -1203,6 +1254,39 @@ quarkus.log.category."io.quarkus.websockets.next.traffic".level=DEBUG <3>
 <2> Set the number of characters of a text message payload which will be logged.
 <3> Enable `DEBUG` level is for the logger `io.quarkus.websockets.next.traffic`.
 
+[[subscribe-or-not-subscribe]]
+== When to subscribe to a `Uni` or `Multi`
+
+`Uni` and `Multi` are lazy types, which means that they do not start processing until they are subscribed to.
+
+When you get (from a parameter or from a method you called) a `Uni` or a `Multi`, whether you should subscribe to it depends on the context:
+
+- if you return the `Uni` or `Multi` in a method invoked by Quarkus (like with Quarkus REST, Quarkus WebSocket Next or Quarkus Messaging), Quarkus subscribes to it and processes the items emitted by the `Multi` or the item emitted by the `Uni`:
+
+[source, java]
+----
+@Incoming("...")
+@Outgoing("...")
+public Multi<String> process(Multi<String> input) {
+    // No need to subscribe to the input Multi, the `process` method is called by Quarkus (Messaging).
+    return input.map(String::toUpperCase);
+}
+----
+
+When a `Uni` or `Multi` is returned from a method annotated with `@OnOpen`, `@OnTextMessage`, `@OnBinaryMessage`, or `@OnClose`, Quarkus subscribes to it automatically.
+
+- if you do not return the `Uni` or `Multi` in a method invoked by Quarkus, you should subscribe to it:
+
+[source, java]
+----
+@Incoming("...")
+@Outgoing("...")
+public void process(Multi<String> input) {
+    input.map(String::toUpperCase)
+        .subscribe().with(s -> log(s));
+}
+----
+
 [[telemetry]]
 == Telemetry