Web Development Intermediate

What is WebSocket?

A communication protocol that enables full-duplex, real-time data exchange between a browser and server over a single connection.

WebSockets provide persistent, bidirectional communication between client and server. Unlike HTTP (request-response), WebSockets allow the server to push data to clients instantly without polling.

Use cases include chat applications, live dashboards, gaming, collaborative editing, and real-time notifications. The connection starts as an HTTP upgrade request, then switches to the WebSocket protocol (ws:// or wss://).

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Related Terms

A property where performing an operation multiple times produces the same result as performing it once.

Software that sits between the request and response in a web application, performing processing like authentication or logging.

WebAssembly (Wasm)

A binary instruction format that enables near-native performance execution of code in web browsers alongside JavaScript.

A technique that delays loading non-critical resources until they are needed, improving initial page load performance.

A set of browser-native APIs for creating reusable, encapsulated custom HTML elements with their own styling and behavior.

A small piece of data stored in the browser by a website to remember user preferences, login state, or tracking information.

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