Server-Sent Events (SSE) is a web technology that allows servers to push updates to clients in real-time. This guide will provide an overview of the SSE API and how to use it effectively.

Features of SSE API

  • Real-time Updates: Push updates from the server to the client as they happen.
  • Asynchronous Communication: The client does not need to constantly poll the server for updates.
  • Event-Driven: The client can handle events as they are received, making it more efficient.

Getting Started

To use the SSE API, you need to:

  1. Create an SSE Endpoint: This is a URL on your server that will handle the SSE connection.
  2. Establish a Connection: The client makes a request to the SSE endpoint to establish a connection.
  3. Send Events: The server sends events to the client through the established connection.

Example Endpoint

Suppose you have an endpoint /api/sse/updates that sends real-time updates to clients.

<script>
  var eventSource = new EventSource('/api/sse/updates');

  eventSource.onmessage = function(event) {
    console.log('Message from server:', event.data);
  };
</script>

Common Use Cases

  • Live Scores: Push updates about sports scores to the client in real-time.
  • Chat Applications: Send new messages to the client as they are received.
  • Stock Market Updates: Push the latest stock prices to the client.

Learn More

For more information on SSE API, you can visit the MDN Web Docs.

Images

Here are some images related to SSE API:

Real-time Updates
Async Communication
Event-Driven