WebSocket

WebSocket is a computer communications protocol, providing full-duplex communication channels over a single TCP connection. The WebSocket protocol was standardized in 2011, and the WebSocket API in Web IDL is being standardized by the W3C.

WebSocket is designed to be implemented in web browsers and web servers, but it can be used by any client or server application. The WebSocket protocol makes possible more interaction between a browser and a web site, facilitating live content and real-time games. In this way, a two-way (bi-directional) ongoing conversation can take place between the browser and the server.

What is a WebSocket and how does it work?

A WebSocket is a computer communications protocol, providing full-duplex communication channels over a single TCP connection. The WebSocket protocol was standardized in 2011, and the WebSocket API in Web IDL is being standardized by the W3C.

WebSocket is designed to be implemented in web browsers and web servers, but it can be used by any client or server application. The WebSocket protocol makes possible more interactive applications by providing bidirectional, full-duplex communications channels over a single TCP connection.

In a nutshell, the WebSocket protocol enables interactive communication between a web browser (or other web client) and a web server. Once a WebSocket connection is established, the client and server can send each other messages at any time.

The WebSocket protocol is based on the TCP protocol and uses the HTTP protocol for initial handshaking. Once the handshake is complete, the WebSocket connection is established and the client and server can start exchanging data.

WebSocket connections are persistent, meaning they are kept open for as long as the client and server want to exchange data. This is in contrast to HTTP, where each request/response cycle is a new connection.

WebSocket messages can be either text or binary data. Text messages are encoded using UTF-8, and binary messages can be any arbitrary byte array.

The WebSocket protocol is designed to be used by web browsers and web servers, but it can be used by

What is WebSocket vs HTTP?

WebSocket is a network communication protocol, providing full duplex communication channels over a single TCP connection. The WebSocket protocol was standardized in 2011, and the WebSocket API in Web IDL is being standardized by the W3C.

HTTP is a stateless request-response protocol. A client sends a request, the server responds. Each request is independent of any other.

WebSocket is designed to be implemented in web browsers and web servers, but it can be used by any client or server application. The WebSocket protocol makes more efficient use of network resources and reduces latency compared to older polling technologies such as Long Polling.

WebSocket provides full-duplex communication over a single TCP connection. This means that both the client and the server can send data to each other at the same time.

HTTP is a half-duplex protocol, meaning that the client can send a request to the server, but the server can only send a response back to the client. The client cannot send a second request until it has received the response to the first request.

WebSocket uses a single socket connection for all communication, while HTTP uses multiple connections (one for each request-response cycle).

WebSocket is designed for bidirectional data exchange between a client and a server, while HTTP is designed for request-response communication from a client to a server. Is WebSocket UDP or TCP? WebSocket is a protocol that enables two-way communication between a client and a server. It is designed to be used over a reliable transport layer such as TCP. However, WebSocket can also be used over a datagram-oriented transport such as UDP.

Are WebSockets faster than HTTP?

No definitive answer exists to this question since it depends on a number of factors, including the specific implementation of each technology. In general, however, WebSockets are designed to be more efficient than HTTP, both in terms of bandwidth and latency.