Real-time Features with WebSockets

Introduction

Real-time features are becoming essential for modern applications. WebSockets enable bidirectional communication between client and server.

WebSocket Basics

WebSockets provide persistent connections that allow real-time data transfer:

• Lower latency compared to polling.
• Bidirectional communication.
• Efficient for high-frequency updates.

Implementation

Use libraries like Socket.io or ws for WebSocket implementation:

• Set up a WebSocket server.
• Implement client-side listeners.
• Handle connection management.
• Implement proper error handling.

Scaling WebSockets

• Use message queues (Redis) for multi-server setups.
• Implement connection pooling.
• Monitor connection health.
• Plan for graceful degradation.

Conclusion

WebSockets are powerful for real-time features. Start simple and scale as needed.