gistfile1.js

var RedisClient = require('redis').RedisClient;
var util = require('util')

var CustomClient = function () {
    RedisClient.call(this)
}

util.inherit(CustomClient, RedisClient);

// Extend CustomClient here

CustomClient.prototype.publishJSON = function(chan, obj) {
    // do stuff
}

// Taken from node_redis exports.createClient
var createClient = function (port_arg, host_arg, options) {
    var port = port_arg || default_port,
        host = host_arg || default_host,
        redis_client, net_client;

    net_client = net.createConnection(port, host);

    redis_client = new CustomClient(net_client, options);

    redis_client.port = port;
    redis_client.host = host;

    return redis_client;
};



// normal client usage
var listener = createClient();
var publisher = createClient();

listener.on('message', function(chan, msg) {
    console.log(chan, msg);
});
listener.subscribe('chan');

//// lower down the line, assuming .subscribe already succeeded
publisher.publish('chan', 'message');


/// what I want to do is to be able to
publisher.publish('chan', { level: "WARN", code: 500, msg: "Wrong index number" })