WebSocket Real-Time Communication

Overview

WebSockets provide persistent bidirectional communication between clients and servers. This skill should be invoked when building real-time applications like chat, live dashboards, or collaborative tools.

Core Principles

• Persistent Connection: Single connection for bidirectional communication
• Message Protocol: Define message format for your application
• Connection Lifecycle: Handle connect, disconnect, error events
• Reconnection: Implement automatic reconnection

Preparation Checklist

• Choose WebSocket library (ws, Socket.io)
• Design message protocol
• Plan connection handling
• Design for scaling