Everything You Need to Know About Spring Boot WebSocket Without STOMP

WebSocket is an advanced technology that enables two-way communication between a client and a server over a single, long-lived connection. It is a popular choice for real-time applications as it provides low latency and high throughput. When it comes to implementing WebSocket in a Spring Boot application, the most common approach is to use the STOMP protocol. However, some developers prefer to use WebSocket without STOMP. In this article, we will explore the benefits and challenges of using Spring Boot WebSocket without STOMP.

What is Spring Boot WebSocket?

Spring Boot WebSocket is a module that allows developers to integrate WebSocket functionality into their Spring Boot applications. It provides a simple and elegant way of handling WebSocket connections and messages. With Spring Boot WebSocket, developers can create real-time applications that can handle a large number of concurrent connections with low latency and high throughput.

What is STOMP?

STOMP (Simple Text Oriented Messaging Protocol) is a messaging protocol that provides an interoperable way of exchanging messages between different software systems. It is a popular choice for WebSocket applications as it provides a simple and well-defined message format. STOMP is widely used in Spring Boot WebSocket applications as it provides a higher-level abstraction over raw WebSocket messages.

Why Use Spring Boot WebSocket Without STOMP?

Although STOMP provides a convenient way of handling WebSocket messages, it also adds overhead in terms of message size and processing time. Some developers prefer to use WebSocket without STOMP in order to reduce this overhead and gain more control over the WebSocket messages. Here are some benefits of using Spring Boot WebSocket without STOMP:

1. Reduced Message Size: Since STOMP adds headers and other metadata to the WebSocket messages, it increases the message size. By using WebSocket without STOMP, developers can reduce the message size and improve the overall performance of the application.
2. Improved Processing Time: Since STOMP adds an additional layer of processing to the WebSocket messages, it can increase the processing time. By using WebSocket without STOMP, developers can reduce the processing time and improve the overall performance of the application.
3. More Control: By using WebSocket without STOMP, developers have more control over the WebSocket messages. They can define their own message format and processing logic, which can be tailored to the specific needs of the application.

How to Implement Spring Boot WebSocket Without STOMP?

Implementing Spring Boot WebSocket without STOMP requires a few additional steps compared to using STOMP. Here are the steps to implement Spring Boot WebSocket without STOMP:

1. Add WebSocket Dependencies: To use WebSocket in a Spring Boot application, you need to add the following dependencies to your project:

• spring-boot-starter-websocket
• javax.websocket-api
• javax.json-api
• tyrus-core

Create WebSocket Configuration: Create a configuration class that extends WebSocketConfigurer and overrides the registerWebSocketHandlers method. In this method, you will register your WebSocket endpoint and configure the WebSocketHandler that will handle WebSocket connections and messages. Here’s an example:

Example:

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;import org.springframework.web.socket.config.annotation.EnableWebSocket;import org.springframework.web.socket.config.annotation.WebSocketConfigurer;import org.springframework.web.socket.config.annotation.WebSocketHandlerRegistry;
@Configuration@EnableWebSocketpublic class WebSocketConfig implements WebSocketConfigurer {
@Overridepublic void registerWebSocketHandlers(WebSocketHandlerRegistry registry) {registry.addHandler(new MyWebSocketHandler(), "/my-websocket");}}

Create WebSocket Handler: Create a class that implements the WebSocketHandler interface. This class will handle WebSocket connections and messages. Here’s an example:

Example:

import javax.websocket.Session;import javax.websocket.server.ServerEndpoint;
@ServerEndpoint("/my-websocket")public class MyWebSocketHandler implements WebSocketHandler {
@Overridepublic void onOpen(Session session) {// Handle WebSocket connection}
@Overridepublic void onClose(Session session) {// Handle WebSocket disconnection}
@Overridepublic void onMessage(Session session, String message) {// Handle WebSocket message}}

Create WebSocket Controller: Create a Spring MVC controller that will handle WebSocket requests. In this controller, you will inject the WebSocketHandler that you created earlier and use it to handle WebSocket connections and messages. Here’s an example:

Example:

import org.springframework.stereotype.Controller;import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMapping;import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestMethod;import org.springframework.web.socket.WebSocketHandler;import org.springframework.web.socket.WebSocketSession;import org.springframework.web.socket.handler.TextWebSocketHandler;
@Controllerpublic class MyController {
private final WebSocketHandler webSocketHandler;
public MyController(WebSocketHandler webSocketHandler) {this.webSocketHandler = webSocketHandler;}
@RequestMapping(value = "/my-websocket", method = RequestMethod.GET)public String myWebSocket() {return "my-websocket-view";}
@RequestMapping(value = "/my-websocket", method = RequestMethod.POST)public void myWebSocketHandler(WebSocketSession session, String message) throws Exception {webSocketHandler.handleMessage(session, new TextMessage(message));}}

Challenges of Using Spring Boot WebSocket Without STOMP

Although using Spring Boot WebSocket without STOMP provides some benefits, it also comes with some challenges. Here are some challenges of using Spring Boot WebSocket without STOMP:

1. Message Validation: Without STOMP, developers have to implement their own message validation logic. This can be time-consuming and error-prone.
2. Message Routing: Without STOMP, developers have to implement their own message routing logic. This can be complex and difficult to maintain.
3. No Interoperability: Without STOMP, WebSocket messages are not interoperable with other WebSocket applications that use STOMP.

FAQ

What is WebSocket?

WebSocket is an advanced technology that enables two-way communication between a client and a server over a single, long-lived connection. It is a popular choice for real-time applications as it provides low latency and high throughput.

What is STOMP?

STOMP (Simple Text Oriented Messaging Protocol) is a messaging protocol that provides an interoperable way of exchanging messages between different software systems. It is a popular choice for WebSocket applications as it provides a simple and well-defined message format.

What is Spring Boot WebSocket?

Spring Boot WebSocket is a module that allows developers to integrate WebSocket functionality into their Spring Boot applications. It provides a simple and elegant way of handling WebSocket connections and messages.

Why use Spring Boot WebSocket without STOMP?

Some developers prefer to use WebSocket without STOMP in order to reduce the overhead of message processing and gain more control over the WebSocket messages.

What are the benefits of using Spring Boot WebSocket without STOMP?

The benefits of using Spring Boot WebSocket without STOMP include reduced message size, improved processing time, and more control over the WebSocket messages.

What are the challenges of using Spring Boot WebSocket without STOMP?

The challenges of using Spring Boot WebSocket without STOMP include message validation, message routing, and no interoperability with other WebSocket applications that use STOMP.