Web Development
Intermediate
Building Real-Time Web Apps with WebSockets
Create bi-directional, low-latency live features using WebSockets and Server-Sent Events.
Course Overview
Architect scalable real-time notification feeds, live collaborative dashboards, and WebSocket reconnection strategies with Python and JavaScript.
What You Will Learn
Build full-duplex real-time communication flows using WebSockets
Implement Server-Sent Events (SSE) for unidirectional live updates
Manage client reconnection backoff, heartbeats, and connection state
Scale WebSocket backends horizontally using Redis Pub/Sub channels
Secure WebSocket connections with short-lived authentication tokens
Tools & Technologies Used
JavaScript
Python 3.11
FastAPI
Redis Pub/Sub
WebSockets
Structured Curriculum
2 Modules · 4 Lessons · 160 Minutes Total
Module 1
Module 1: WebSocket Protocols & Client Connections
2 lessons
Module 1: WebSocket Protocols & Client Connections
Understand WebSocket handshakes, frame formats, and reconnection.
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WebSocket Handshake & Frame Lifecycle
Inspect HTTP upgrade requests, WebSocket binary/text frames, and ping/pong keepalives.
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Building Resilient Client Reconnection Loops
Implement exponential backoff and message queues for disconnected clients.
Module 2
Module 2: Server-Sent Events & Redis Pub/Sub Scale
2 lessons
Module 2: Server-Sent Events & Redis Pub/Sub Scale
Scale real-time broadcasting across multi-process backend workers.
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Server-Sent Events (SSE) for Live Feeds
Build lightweight, HTTP-based live notification feeds using SSE stream endpoints.
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Multi-Server Broadcasting with Redis Pub/Sub
Broadcast messages across independent WebSocket server nodes via Redis channels.
Practical Project & Capstone Outcome
🚀 Capstone Project
Real-Time Collaborative Live Dashboard
Build a real-time dashboard application that streams metric updates over WebSockets, supports multi-user online indicators, and handles server failovers gracefully.
Prerequisites
- Intermediate JavaScript and Python backend proficiency
Intended Audience
- Web Engineers adding live chat, real-time feeds, or collaboration features
- Backend Engineers scaling persistent connection infrastructures
Instructor Information
A
Ananya Deshmukh
Course Author & Industry Expert
Ananya Deshmukh is a Principal Real-Time Systems Engineer with extensive experience building low-latency trading and chat backends.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I choose WebSockets over Server-Sent Events?
WebSockets are bi-directional; SSE is simpler and ideal when only the server needs to push data to clients.