Development
WebSocket
What WebSocket is and why it matters
Definition
WebSocket is a communication protocol (standardized as RFC 6455) that provides full-duplex, persistent connections between a client and server over a single TCP connection. Unlike HTTP's request-response pattern, WebSocket enables real-time, bidirectional communication - allowing servers to push data to clients instantly. WebSocket is used for live chat, real-time dashboards, collaborative editing, gaming, and streaming data feeds.
How it works
HTTP works like a letter exchange: the client sends a request, the server sends a response, and the connection closes. For real-time features, this means the client must constantly poll the server ("Any new messages? Any new messages? Any new messages?"), which is wasteful and introduces latency. WebSocket opens a persistent connection that stays open, letting either side send messages at any time.
A WebSocket connection starts as an HTTP request (the handshake) and then upgrades to the WebSocket protocol. Once established, messages flow in both directions with minimal overhead - just a few bytes of framing per message, compared to the full HTTP headers on every request. This makes WebSocket efficient for high-frequency updates like stock prices, live sports scores, or multiplayer game state.
WebSocket connections require different infrastructure thinking than HTTP. Load balancers must support persistent connections. Server memory scales with the number of concurrent connections. Reconnection logic is essential because connections drop (mobile networks, server deployments). For most applications, a library like Socket.IO or a managed service like Pusher handles these complexities.
How 1Raft uses WebSocket
We use WebSocket for features that require instant updates: live chat, real-time collaboration, and live dashboards. In a hospitality project, WebSocket powers real-time order tracking for kitchen and front-of-house staff. We typically use Socket.IO for broad client support or native WebSocket with a reconnection wrapper for lower overhead. For simpler real-time needs, server-sent events (SSE) can be sufficient.
Related terms
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GraphQL
GraphQL is a query language for APIs that lets the client specify exactly which data it needs. Instead of multiple REST endpoints returning fixed data shapes, a single GraphQL endpoint returns precisely the fields the client requests.
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API Gateway
An API gateway is a server that acts as the single entry point for all client requests to your backend services. It handles routing, authentication, rate limiting, and request transformation so individual services do not have to.
Development
Microservices
Microservices is an architecture pattern where a software application is built as a collection of small, independent services that communicate over APIs. Each service handles a specific business capability and can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.
Related services
Next Step
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