# The `io.sails` object ### Overview The `io.sails` object is the home of global configuration options for the `sails.io.js` library and any sockets it creates. Most of the properties on `io.sails` are used as settings when connecting a client socket to the server or as top-level configuration for the client library itself. `io.sails` also provides a `.connect()` method used for creating new socket connections manually. See [Socket Client](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client) for information about your different options for configuring `io.sails`. ### The `.connect()` method If [`io.sails.autoConnect`](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client/io-sails#?autoconnect) is `false`, or if you need to create more than one socket connection with the `sails.io.js` library, you do so via `io.sails.connect([url], [options])`. Both arguments are optional, and the value of the `io.sails` properties (like `url`, `transports`, etc.) are used as defaults. See the [SailsSocket properties reference](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client/sails-socket/properties) for options. ### `io.sails.autoConnect` When `io.sails.autoConnect` is set to `true` (the default setting), the library will wait one cycle of the event loop after loading and then attempt to create a new [`SailsSocket`](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client/sails-socket) and connect it to the URL specified by `io.sails.url`. When used in the browser, the new socket will be exposed as `io.socket`. When used in a Node.js script, the new socket will be attached as the `socket` property of the variable used to initialize the `sails.io.js` library. ### `io.sails.reconnection` When `io.sails.reconnection` is set to `true`, sockets will automatically (and continuously) attempt to reconnect to the server if they become disconnected unexpectedly (that is, _not_ as the result of a call to [`.disconnect()`](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client/sails-socket/methods#?disconnect)). If set to `false` (the default), no automatic reconnection attempt will be made. Defaults to `false`. ### `io.sails.environment` Use `io.sails.environment` to set an environment for `sails.io.js`, which affects how much information is logged to the console. Valid values are `development` (full logs) and `production` (minimal logs). ### Other properties and defaults The other properties of `io.sails` are used as defaults when creating new sockets (either the eager socket or via [`io.sails.connect()`](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client/io-sails#?the-connect-method)). See the [SailsSocket properties reference](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client/sails-socket/properties) for a full list of available options, as well as a table of the default `io.sails` values. Here are the most commonly used properties: Property | Type | Default | Details :------------------ |----------|:--------- |:------- url | ((string)) | Value of [`io.sails.url`](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client/sails-socket/properties#?iosails-defaults) | The URL that the socket is connected to, or will attempt to connect to. transports | ((array)) | Value of [`io.sails.transports`](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client/sails-socket/properties#?iosails-defaults) | The transports that the socket will attempt to connect using. Transports will be tried in order, with upgrades allowed: that is, if you list both "polling" and "websocket", then after establishing a long-polling connection the server will attempt to upgrade it to a websocket connection. This setting should match the value of `sails.config.sockets.transports` in your Sails app. headers | ((dictionary)) | Value of [`io.sails.headers`](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client/sails-socket/properties#?iosails-defaults) | Dictionary of headers to be sent by default with every request from this socket. Can be overridden via the `headers` option in [`.request()`](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client/io-socket-request).