WebSockets Rule!
Wow. It has been a ridiculously long time since I have posted anything. I used to post a lot about PHP-GTK, but in the last two years I have moved on to more exciting topics. What could be more exciting than PHP-GTK you say?! Well, WebSockets, of course.
WebSockets are part of the emerging HTML5 spec. They offer a full-duplex socket connection between the user’s browser and the web server. The server is able to talk to the browser instead of just answering questions. No more polling with Ajax, asking the server every 30 seconds if anything has changed. When something new and exciting happens, your site can tell the the browser about it instead of the browser having to ask for it. This means that communication between your site and your users is quick, easy and efficient.
I’ve been working on some secret projects at work that utilize WebSockets. I’ll blog more frequently about all the things we have come across while putting all the pieces in place for some really cool user experiences. In the mean time, read up on WebSockets. If you aren’t thinking about all the awesome things you can do with them, you are already falling behind.