WebSocket vs HTTP

calendarJul 6, 2023 · 1 min read · websocket http communications protocol  ·
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Yesterday I learned more about the WebSocket communication protocol. Compared to HTTP(s), WebSocket allows:

  1. Server to communicate with client without client first sending a request.
  2. Multiple messages going back and forth between client and server in a single connection.

WebSocket is thus a better fit for applications that need up-to-date ongoing data communication, for example:

  1. Messaging
  2. Gaming
  3. Trading

On the other hand, WebSocket lacks the HTTP verbs and status codes, thus HTTP(s) is still king for building RESTful APIs.