.NET Core 6 WebSocket: A Comprehensive Guide

Websocket Port Leave a comment 105 Views

WebSocket is a protocol that enables bi-directional communication between the client and the server over a single, long-lived connection. It enables real-time communication and reduces the latency that is often associated with HTTP-based communication methods. .NET Core 6 introduces several improvements to the WebSocket API, making it more efficient and easier to use. In this article, we’ll explore the .NET Core 6 WebSocket API and see how it can be used to build real-time applications.

Table of Contents show

What is .NET Core 6 WebSocket?

The .NET Core 6 WebSocket API is a set of classes that enable bi-directional communication between the client and the server over a single, long-lived connection. It is built on top of the WebSocket protocol, which is a standard protocol for real-time communication over the web. The WebSocket API in .NET Core 6 is designed to be efficient and easy to use, making it a great choice for building real-time applications.

Why use .NET Core 6 WebSocket?

There are several reasons why you might choose to use the .NET Core 6 WebSocket API:

Real-time communication: WebSocket enables real-time communication between the client and the server, which can be useful for applications that require real-time updates.
Reduced latency: Unlike traditional HTTP-based communication methods, WebSocket enables communication over a single, long-lived connection, reducing the latency associated with establishing and tearing down multiple connections.
Efficiency: The .NET Core 6 WebSocket API is designed to be efficient, enabling high-performance real-time communication.
Easy to use: The .NET Core 6 WebSocket API is easy to use, with a simple programming model that makes it easy to build real-time applications.

How to use .NET Core 6 WebSocket?

Using the .NET Core 6 WebSocket API is straightforward. Here’s a high-level overview of the steps involved:

Create a WebSocket server: To enable WebSocket communication, you’ll need to create a WebSocket server. This can be done using the WebSocketManager class, which manages the WebSocket connections.
Handle WebSocket connections: Once the WebSocket server is created, you’ll need to handle incoming WebSocket connections. This can be done by adding a WebSocket middleware to the ASP.NET Core pipeline.
Send and receive messages: Once a WebSocket connection is established, you can send and receive messages over the WebSocket connection using the WebSocket class.

Creating a WebSocket Server

To create a WebSocket server in .NET Core 6, you’ll need to create a class that derives from the WebSocketHandler class. This class is responsible for managing the WebSocket connections. Here’s an example:

public class ChatHandler : WebSocketHandler{public ChatHandler(WebSocketManager webSocketManager) : base(webSocketManager){}public override async Task ReceiveAsync(WebSocket socket, WebSocketReceiveResult result, byte[] buffer){var message = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(buffer, 0, result.Count);await BroadcastAsync(message);}}

In this example, we’re creating a ChatHandler class that derives from the WebSocketHandler class. The constructor takes a WebSocketManager as a parameter, which is used to manage the WebSocket connections.

The ReceiveAsync method is called whenever a WebSocket message is received. In this example, we’re broadcasting the message to all connected WebSocket clients using the BroadcastAsync method.

Handling WebSocket Connections

Once you’ve created a WebSocket server, you’ll need to handle incoming WebSocket connections. This can be done by adding a WebSocket middleware to the ASP.NET Core pipeline. Here’s an example:

app.UseWebSockets();app.MapWebSocketManager("/chat", serviceProvider.GetService<ChatHandler>());

In this example, we’re adding WebSocket middleware to the ASP.NET Core pipeline using the UseWebSockets method. We’re then mapping the /chat URL to the ChatHandler class using the MapWebSocketManager method.

Sending and Receiving Messages

Once a WebSocket connection is established, you can send and receive messages over the WebSocket connection using the WebSocket class. Here’s an example:

await socket.SendAsync(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("Hello, world!"), WebSocketMessageType.Text, true, CancellationToken.None);var buffer = new byte[1024 * 4];var result = await socket.ReceiveAsync(new ArraySegment<byte>(buffer), CancellationToken.None);var message = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(buffer, 0, result.Count);

In this example, we’re sending a message over the WebSocket connection using the SendAsync method. We’re then receiving a message using the ReceiveAsync method. The message is read into a buffer and then converted to a string using the Encoding.UTF8.GetString method.

Improvements in .NET Core 6 WebSocket

.NET Core 6 introduces several improvements to the WebSocket API, making it more efficient and easier to use. Here are some of the improvements:

Improved performance: The .NET Core 6 WebSocket API has been optimized for performance, enabling high-performance real-time communication.
Improved WebSocketMiddleware: The WebSocketMiddleware in .NET Core 6 has been improved to make it easier to use and more flexible.
Binary data support: .NET Core 6 WebSocket now supports sending and receiving binary data, in addition to text data.
Custom message types: .NET Core 6 WebSocket enables you to define custom message types, enabling you to send and receive messages in a more structured way.

Conclusion

The .NET Core 6 WebSocket API is a powerful and efficient way to enable real-time communication between the client and the server. It’s easy to use and has several improvements over previous versions of the WebSocket API. If you’re building a real-time application, .NET Core 6 WebSocket is definitely worth considering.

FAQ

What is WebSocket?