HTML5 WebSockets offer app developers a much smaller and more efficient way of communicating than classic HTTP for smoother, faster, and full-duplex communication with the server. With this practical book, you'll learn how to take advantage of WebSockets power, from the basics of getting started to the complexities of managing rich communications channels. You'll work through several examples, each teaching an aspect of using and scaling WebSockets in production. This book focuses on the client side with JavaScript, but explains and demonstrates the server side (in Node.js) as well. You'll also touch on some of the compatibility frameworks like Socket.IO, which allows you to use WebSockets today, even if some of your target clients don't support it. Move from "classic" HTTP requests to smaller, more nimble WebSockets Explores how WebSockets affect scaling in larger applications Learn how to use WebSockets with browsers that don't support them natively Discover how to keep WebSocket-based systems running even as tasks and environments change over time