Server Sent Events vs Web Sockets?

• From: Dominique Hazael-Massieux <dom@w3.org>
• Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:58:31 +0200
• To: public-webapps@w3.org
• Message-ID: <1271087911.14349.46.camel@localhost>

Hi,

Given the overlap I perceive between Server Sent Events and the Web
Sockets spec, I would be interested to know what role Server Sent Events
fills that Web Sockets doesn't.

I understand that Server Sent Events allow for unidirectional
communication with the server, while Web sockets is bidirectional, and
SSE is purely HTTP-based, while Web sockets is made to switch to a lower
level protocol, but this all points to SSE being a subset (feature-wise)
of Web sockets.

Is it only a question of timing? i.e. SSE filling the role of Web
Sockets while Web Sockets is being finalized?

Currently, the two documents don't reference each other at all; some
clarification of their relationship in the specs themselves would be
useful, I think.

Thanks,

Dom

Received on Monday, 12 April 2010 15:58:39 UTC