Very simple demo of websockets with Node.js.
This repository contains a WebSockets demo that showcases the usage of WebSockets for real-time communication between clients and servers. In this README, we'll briefly explain the HTTP/1.0 and HTTP/1.1 protocols and how WebSockets are based on the HTTP/1.1 protocol.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is a protocol that allows clients and servers to communicate over the internet. There are two main versions of the HTTP protocol: HTTP/1.0 and HTTP/1.1.
HTTP/1.0 is the first version of HTTP. It supports basic request and response communication between clients and servers. However, each request/response cycle requires establishing a new connection, which can be inefficient.
HTTP/1.1 is an updated version of HTTP that introduced several improvements. It added features like persistent connections, pipelining, and chunked transfer encoding. These enhancements improved performance and reduced latency. With HTTP/1.1, multiple requests can be sent over a single connection, making communication more efficient.
WebSockets is a communication protocol that is built on top of the HTTP/1.1 protocol. It enables full-duplex communication between clients and servers over a single, long-lived connection. Unlike HTTP, which is a request/response protocol, WebSockets allow for real-time, bidirectional communication.
WebSockets leverage the features of HTTP/1.1, such as persistent connections, to establish and maintain a connection between the client and server. This connection stays open for the duration of the communication, allowing for instant updates and live data streaming.
To help you visualize the differences between HTTP/1.0 and HTTP/1.1, I have included two diagrams:
These diagrams illustrate the key features and improvements introduced in HTTP/1.1 compared to HTTP/1.0.
Feel free to explore the demo code to see how WebSockets are implemented and how they leverage the HTTP/1.1 protocol for efficient and real-time communication.