4 Different Communications in Web Development

Introduction

Web development is the process of building websites and web applications that are accessible via the internet. A web application or website has a number of different parts, including a frontend, backend and database. User interaction takes place on the frontend (user interface), the backend is in charge of handling data management and customer request processing, and at the final stage the application saves data in the database.

In web development, communication refers to a method of data transmission between the server (backend) and the frontend (user interface). In this article, we have explained 4 different types of communication in Web Development.

There are various technique of communication in web development such as:

• webrtc
• websocket
• push API
• server sent API

Let’s explore those techniques.

1. WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication)

With the help of the WebRTC technology, Web apps and sites can record and possibly stream audio and/or video content, as well as transfer any kind of data between browsers without the aid of a third party. Without requiring the user to install plug-ins or other third- party software. WebRTC is a set of standards that allows peer-to-peer data sharing and teleconferencing.

There are many uses for WebRTC, from straightforward online applications that make use of the camera or microphone to more complex screen-sharing and video calling Apps.

2. Websocket

The WebSocket API is an advanced technology that enables a bidirectional communication exchange between a user (browser) and a server. This API allows you to send messages to a server and receive event-driven replies without polling the server.

By enabling interaction between a web browser (or other client program) and a web server with less overhead than half-duplex alternatives such as HTTP polling, the WebSocket protocol enables real-time data transfer from the browser to the server. This is accomplished by providing a standardized way for the server to transmit content to the client without being asked, as well as enabling messages to be passed back and forth while the connection is open.
The interactions usually take place over TCP port 443 (or 80 for unsecured connections), which is advantageous in settings where firewalls are blocking non-web Internet connections.

3. Push API

Regardless of whether a web app is currently loaded on a user agent or even in the foreground, the Push API enables web applications to receive notifications pushed from a server. This gives developers the ability to deliver asynchronous updates and notifications to users who opt in, increasing engagement with timely fresh content.
In order to receive push notifications, an app needs to have a live service worker. When the service worker is active, it can subscribe to push alerts using PushManager.subscribe().

In basic terms, service workers act as proxy servers for networks, online applications, and browsers. Service workers are designed to make it possible to create efficient offline experiences, intercept network requests and decide what to do depending on whether the network is available, and update server-side assets.

The following is how a push notification is sent from an application server to a web service:

• The application server requests that the push service deliver a push notification, this request utilizes the push endpoint that is a part of the push subscription;
• The push service sends the message to a particular user agent, identifying the push endpoint in the message;
• The user agent locates and activates the intended Service Worker, and then sends the push message to the Service Worker.

4. Server sent API (Server sent event SSE)

Server-Sent Events (SSE) is a server push technology that describes how servers can begin data transmission to clients after an initial client connection has been made. It enables a client to automatically receive updates from a server over an HTTP connection. They are frequently used to improve native, cross-browser streaming via a JavaScript API called EventSource, which necessitates a client to request a specific URL in order to receive an event stream. Server-sent events are frequently used to send message updates or continuous data streams to a browser client.

There are some libraries you can use to easily interact with the frontend; these libraries vary depending on the framework or programming language you're using, and they're built on top of the previous communication techniques.

With this article at OpenGenus, you must have the complete idea of 4 Different Communications in Web Development.