Everything You Need to Know About Web Socket in Flutter

Introduction

Flutter is a mobile application development framework that has gained popularity due to its ease of use and flexibility. It provides developers with a rich set of tools and widgets that can be used to build high-performance mobile applications. One of the key features of Flutter is its support for web sockets, which enables real-time communication between client and server. In this article, we will explore the concept of web socket in Flutter and how it can be used to build real-time mobile applications.

What is Web Socket?

WebSocket is a protocol that provides a two-way communication channel between a client and a server over a single, long-lived connection. Unlike HTTP, which is a request-and-response protocol, WebSocket allows the server to push data to the client without the need for the client to continuously poll the server for updates. This makes WebSocket ideal for building real-time applications such as chat applications, multiplayer games, and stock tickers.

WebSocket is based on the TCP protocol, which is a reliable, connection-oriented protocol that guarantees delivery of data. Unlike UDP, which is a connectionless protocol that does not guarantee delivery of data, TCP ensures that data is delivered in the order in which it was sent and without any loss or corruption.

Web Socket in Flutter

Flutter provides a WebSocket class that can be used to establish a WebSocket connection between a client and a server. The WebSocket class is part of the dart:io library, which is used for server-side programming in Dart.

To establish a WebSocket connection, the client sends a WebSocket handshake request to the server. If the server accepts the request, it sends back a WebSocket handshake response, and the connection is established. Once the connection is established, the client and server can exchange data through the WebSocket.

Using Web Socket in Flutter

Using WebSocket in Flutter is very straightforward. To establish a WebSocket connection, you simply create a new instance of the WebSocket class and pass in the URL of the WebSocket server as a parameter:

var socket = await WebSocket.connect('ws://mywebsocketserver.com');

Once the connection is established, you can send data to the server using the send method:

socket.send('Hello, server!');

To receive data from the server, you can listen to the onMessage stream:

socket.listen((message) {print('Received message: $message');});

When you are finished using the WebSocket, you should close the connection using the close method:

socket.close();

Web Socket Security

WebSocket connections can be secured using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol. SSL provides encryption and authentication of data, which ensures that the data is transmitted securely and cannot be intercepted by a third party.

To establish a secure WebSocket connection, you simply prefix the WebSocket URL with “wss” instead of “ws”. For example:

var socket = await WebSocket.connect('wss://mywebsocketserver.com');

When you connect to a secure WebSocket server, the server presents a digital certificate to the client, which contains information about the server’s identity. The client can use this certificate to verify the identity of the server and ensure that the connection is secure.

Web Socket Performance

WebSocket is designed for high-performance, real-time applications. Unlike HTTP, which requires a new connection to be established for each request, WebSocket maintains a single, long-lived connection between the client and server. This reduces the overhead of establishing a connection and allows the server to push data to the client in real-time.

WebSocket is also designed to be lightweight and efficient. The WebSocket protocol is based on a simple message format that consists of a header and a payload. This makes WebSocket ideal for use in mobile applications, where bandwidth and battery life are critical.

Web Socket vs. HTTP

WebSocket and HTTP are both protocols that are used to transfer data between clients and servers. However, they differ in several key ways:

• Connection: WebSocket maintains a single, long-lived connection between the client and server, while HTTP requires a new connection to be established for each request.
• Real-time communication: WebSocket allows the server to push data to the client in real-time, while HTTP requires the client to continuously poll the server for updates.
• Efficiency: WebSocket is designed to be lightweight and efficient, while HTTP is designed to be flexible and extensible.
• Security: WebSocket can be secured using SSL, while HTTP can also be secured using SSL but requires additional configuration.

Web Socket Use Cases

WebSocket can be used to build a wide range of real-time applications, including:

• Chat applications: WebSocket can be used to build real-time chat applications that allow users to communicate with each other in real-time.
• Multiplayer games: WebSocket can be used to build real-time multiplayer games that allow players to compete against each other in real-time.
• Stock tickers: WebSocket can be used to build real-time stock tickers that provide up-to-date information about stock prices and market trends.
• Real-time dashboards: WebSocket can be used to build real-time dashboards that provide up-to-date information about key performance indicators (KPIs) and other metrics.

Conclusion

WebSocket is a powerful protocol that enables real-time communication between clients and servers. Flutter provides a WebSocket class that can be used to establish a WebSocket connection between a client and server. WebSocket is ideal for building real-time applications such as chat applications, multiplayer games, and stock tickers. WebSocket is designed for high-performance and efficiency, making it ideal for use in mobile applications. With its support for WebSocket, Flutter provides developers with a powerful tool for building real-time mobile applications.

FAQ

What is WebSocket?

WebSocket is a protocol that provides a two-way communication channel between a client and a server over a single, long-lived connection.

What is Flutter?

Flutter is a mobile application development framework that provides developers with a rich set of tools and widgets for building high-performance mobile applications.

What is the WebSocket class in Flutter?

The WebSocket class is part of the dart:io library in Flutter, and is used to establish a WebSocket connection between a client and server.

What are some use cases for WebSocket?

WebSocket can be used to build real-time applications such as chat applications, multiplayer games, and stock tickers.

What is the difference between WebSocket and HTTP?

WebSocket maintains a single, long-lived connection between the client and server, while HTTP requires a new connection to be established for each request. WebSocket also allows the server to push data to the client in real-time, while HTTP requires the client to continuously poll the server for updates.