Streaming API
A Streaming API is a design pattern and technology approach that enables real-time, continuous data transmission from a server to a client over a persistent connection, such as HTTP/2 or WebSockets. It allows applications to receive data incrementally as it becomes available, rather than in discrete batches, supporting use cases like live updates, notifications, and event-driven architectures. This contrasts with traditional REST APIs that rely on request-response cycles and polling for new data.
Developers should learn and use Streaming APIs when building applications that require low-latency, real-time data delivery, such as chat applications, live sports scores, financial trading platforms, or IoT sensor monitoring. They are essential for reducing server load and network overhead compared to frequent polling, improving user experience with instant updates, and enabling scalable event-driven systems where data flows continuously from producers to consumers.