gistfile1.txt

function Thing(opts) {
    opts = opts || { };
    Duplex.call(this, opts);
    
    // not object mode on write (?)
    this._readableState.objectMode = true;
    
    this.upstream = false;
    this.downstream = false;
    
    this.port = opts.port;
    this.host = opts.host;
    
    this.state = 0;
    
    this.chunks = [ ];
    
    this.con = new net.Socket();
}

Thing.prototype._read = function () {
    var chunk = true, more = true;
    
    // upstream called us, it wants data
    this.upstream = true;
    
    while (chunk && more) {
        chunk = this.getObject();
        if (chunk) {
            more = this.push(chunk);
        }
    }
};
Thing.prototype._write = function (chunk, enc, cb) {
    this.con.write(chunk);
    cb();
};
Thing.prototype.connect = function (cb) {
    this.con.connect(self.port, self.host, this.init.bind(this));
};
Thing.prototype.init = function () {
    // does 'readable' get emitted when the first data is available?
    this.con.on('readable', this.process.bind(this));
    
    this.con.write('hello');
);
Thing.prototype.process = function () {
    var chunk = true;
    this.downstream = true;
    
    switch (this.state) {
        case 0:
            var len = this.con.read(24);
            if (len === null) {
                return;
            }
            // parse packet
            state++;
        break;
            
        case 1:
            while (chunk) {
                chunk = this.chunks.push(this.read());
            }
            downstream = false;
            if (this.upstream) { this._read(); }
        break;
    }
};
Thing.prototype.getObject = function () {
    // process this.chunks for an object to emit and return it, or return null
};