What is WebSocket?

WebSocket is a communication protocol that provides full-duplex, bidirectional communication channels over a single TCP connection. Unlike HTTP requests which are one-directional and require a new connection for each exchange, WebSockets maintain a persistent connection for real-time data flow in both directions.

WebSocket use cases:

• Live chat and messaging systems
• Real-time notifications and updates
• Collaborative editing features
• Live dashboards with streaming data
• Multiplayer game features

Basic WebSocket implementation:

const ws = new WebSocket('wss://your-app.com/socket');

ws.onopen = () => {
  console.log('Connected');
  ws.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'subscribe', channel: 'updates' }));
};

ws.onmessage = (event) => {
  const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
  console.log('Received:', data);
};

ws.onerror = (error) => {
  console.error('WebSocket error:', error);
};

Key benefits:

• Low latency: Eliminates HTTP request/response overhead for instant updates
• Efficient: Single persistent connection reduces server load compared to polling
• Bidirectional: Both client and server can push data at any time
• Event-driven: Perfect for real-time features without constant polling

AI-friendly: WebSockets provide a simple event-driven model that AI tools can easily understand. AI can help implement connection management, reconnection logic, message handling patterns, and state synchronization strategies. The protocol's straightforward nature makes it easy for AI to generate reliable real-time communication code.