💻 Development + 🌐 Web Technologies intermediate

WebSocket

Protocol providing full-duplex, bidirectional communication channels over a single TCP connection.

WebSockets enable real-time, two-way communication between client and server - unlike HTTP's request-response model. After an initial HTTP handshake, the connection stays open for continuous data exchange. Use cases include: chat applications, live notifications, collaborative editing, gaming, financial tickers, and IoT dashboards. The API is simple: connect, send messages, receive messages, close. Libraries like Socket.IO add features like automatic reconnection and fallbacks. Compared to alternatives: Server-Sent Events (SSE) are simpler but one-way; long-polling works but is inefficient. WebSockets are essential for real-time web applications.

</> Related Terms

REST API

Architectural style for designing networked applications using HTTP methods to perform CRUD operations on resources.

API (Application Programming Interface)

Set of rules and protocols that allow different software applications to communicate.

[] More in Development

→ API (Application Programming Interface)→ CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment)→ Git → GraphQL → REST API

← cd ../glossary