A WebSocket is what is termed as a bidirectional, a full-duplex protocol used in client-server communication channels, and although that line may make sense to some to others it may sound like complete jargon. Let's try break this definition down, so we can all understand it.

The Websocket protocol was standardized by the IETF as RFC 6455 in 2011, and the WebSocket API in Web IDL is being standardized by the W3C, enabling data to be transferred between the browser and server without any delay making real-time communication possible.

What is full duplex protocol

In their simplest definitions Full-Duplex protocols enable applications to send and receive information concurrently, allowing the application sending information to continue without waiting for a response, and the consumer application can also send data without waiting for the appropriate response.

WebSocket Protocol

WebSockets establish TCP-style connections in a browser-compatible fashion using HTTP during initial setup. Messages over websockets can be provided in any protocol, freeing the application from the sometimes unnecessary overhead of handling HTTP requests and responses, which typically include headers, cookies, and other artifacts. However, the most critical aspect is the ability to deliver downstream (server-to-client) messages to connected clients.

Websockets, provide a stateful protocol which means the connection between client and server will keep alive until it is terminated by either party (client or server). After closing the connection, it is terminated at both ends, regardless of which side initiated the closure.

A WebSocket is initiated by making a common HTTP request to that server with an Upgrade header, which the server (after authenticating and authorizing the client) should confirm in its response. After the handshake process, the connection remains established between that physical client-server pair; if at some point the service needs to be redeployed or the load redistributed, its WebSocket connections needs to be re-established.

In the browser, for instance, a similar approach was once only possible by polling a server resource, which is a comparatively racy, high-latency, and bandwidth-intensive affair.

WebSockets are available on many platforms, including the most common browsers and mobile devices. They're often applied to solve problems of millisecond-accurate state synchronization and publish-subscribe messaging, both of which leverage Websockets' provision for downstream pushes.

Differences between HTTP Requests & WebSockets

Typically, communication between web browsers and websites is conducted via HTTP Requests, where the client sends a request and the server returns a response, which is commonly referred to as the Request/Respond model. The connection between the web browser and the server is only active for the duration of the request response cycle. HTTP requests are transactional in nature.

WebSocket connections on the other hand are initiated over HTTP and are typically long-lived, messages can be sent in either direction at any time and are not transactional in nature. The connection will stay open until either the client or the server or the server close the request.

WebSockets help to reduce unnecessary network traffic, as data can immediately travel both ways through a single open connection, providing speed and real-time capability on the web. Websockets also enable servers to keep track of clients and push data to them as needed, which was not possible using only HTTP.

There are a number of situations where the use of WebSockets can be highly advantageous, where low latency or server initiated messages required.

The following types of applications can make use of WebSockets:

• Real-time feeds such financial data or stock prices etc
• Chat Programs
• Social Media platforms
• Gaming applications

WebSocket connections enable streaming of text strings and binary data via messages. WebSocket messages include a frame, payload, and data portion. Very little non-payload data gets sent across the existing network connection this way, which helps to reduce latency and overhead, especially when compared to HTTP request and streaming models.

How do WebSockets work ?

WebSockets effectively make use TCP (Transport Control Protocol) to run as a transport layer using the WebSocket Protocol.

In order to establish a connection, the client needs to make an initial HTTP Request, which is essentially a WebSocket handshake . This request makes use of the Upgrade header, which is used to upgrade an already established client/server connection to a different protocol (over the same transport protocol).

GET /chat HTTP/1.1
Host: threenine.co.uk
Connection: Upgrade
Pragma: no-cache
Cache-Control: no-cache
Upgrade: websocket
Sec-WebSocket-Version: 13
Sec-WebSocket-Key: b6gjhT32u488lpuRwKaOWs==

The server will determine to upgrade the connection and will respond with a 101 Switching Protocols response

HTTP/1.1 101 Switching Protocols
Upgrade: websocket
Connection: Upgrade
Sec-WebSocket-Accept: b6gjhT32u488lpuRwKaOWs==

All this processing is hugely simplified by making use of various libraries available. For Instance in JavaScript creating a new WebSocket is as easy as:

var ws = new WebSocket("wss://threenine.co.uk/feed");

Once the WebSocket has been established messages can be sent , messages can be sent asynchronously in either direction by the client or server.

A simple message could be sent from the browser using client-side JavaScript like the following:

ws.send("Hello World!");

WebSocket messages can contain any content or data format. In modern applications, the convention is to make of JSON to send structured data within WebSocket messages.

What makes WebSocket great for Real-Time Communication

WebSockets are generally a great fit for Real-Time communication for a number of reasons:

• Websockets provide real-time updates and open lines of communication.
• Websockets are HTML5 compliant, and offer backwards compatibility with older html documents. Therefore, they are supported by all modern web browsers—Google Chrome, Brave, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and more.
• WebSockets are also compatible across platforms—Android, iOS, web, and desktop apps.
• A single server can have multiple WebSocket connections open simultaneously, and can even have multiple connections with the same client, which opens the door for scalability.
• WebSockets can stream through many proxies and firewalls.

Conclusion

WebSocket enables two-way interactive communication sessions between client and server without having to poll the server for a reply, providing both speed improvements and real-capabilities over other protocols.

Hopefully this post covered the basics behind WebSockets and how and when to start using them in your applications to enable Real-Time communications between client and server applications.