Traditional HTTP Streaming

Traditional HTTP Streaming is a client-server communication technique where data is continuously sent from a server to a client over a single, long-lived HTTP connection, typically using chunked transfer encoding. It allows for real-time or near-real-time data delivery without requiring multiple requests, enabling applications like live video/audio feeds, stock tickers, or server-sent events. This approach predates modern WebSocket and Server-Sent Events (SSE) protocols, relying on standard HTTP/1.1 features to stream data incrementally.

Also known as: HTTP Streaming, Chunked Transfer Streaming, Long-Polling Streaming, HTTP/1.1 Streaming, Traditional Streaming

Why learn Traditional HTTP Streaming?

Developers should learn Traditional HTTP Streaming for legacy system maintenance, scenarios requiring simple real-time updates without bidirectional communication, or when working with older infrastructure that doesn't support WebSockets. It's useful in applications like live news feeds, monitoring dashboards, or progressive file downloads where low-latency data push is needed but full-duplex capabilities aren't required, offering a lightweight alternative to polling.

Learning Resources

• docs: MDN Web Docs: HTTP/1.1 Chunked Transfer Encoding
• tutorial: Real-Time Web Technologies Guide
• docs: HTTP Streaming vs. WebSockets Comparison
• video: YouTube: Traditional HTTP Streaming Explained