WebSockets in Atomic Data

WebSockets are a very fast and efficient way to have a client and server communicate in an asynchronous fashion. They are used in Atomic Data to allow real-time updates, which makes it possible to create things like collaborative applications and multiplayer games. These have been implemented in atomic-server and atomic-data-browser (powered by @tomic/lib).

Initializing a WebSocket connection

Send an HTTP GET request to the /ws endpoint of an atomic-server. The Server should update that request to a secure WebSocket (wss) connection. Use x-atomic authentication headers (read more here) and use ws as a subject when signing.

Client to server messages

  • SUBSCRIBE ${subject} tells the Server that you'd like to receive Commits about this Subject.
  • UNSUBSCRIBE ${subject} tells the Server that you'd like to stop receiving Commits about this Subject.
  • GET ${subject} fetch an individual resource.

Server to client messages

  • COMMIT ${CommitBody} an entire Commit for a resource that you're subscribed to
  • RESOURCE ${CommitBody} a resource as a response to a GET request.

Example implementations