Why AJAX Isn’t Enough

AJAX calls have moved user interaction on the Web a huge step forward: We no longer need to reload the page in response to each user input. Using AJAX, we can call specific procedures on the server and update the page based on the returned values, giving our applications fast interactivity. What AJAX calls do not cover are updates from the server, which are needed for the modern real-time and collaborative Web. This need for updates covers use cases ranging from a couple of users collaboratively editing a document to the notification of potentially millions of readers of a news website that a goal has been scored in a World Cup match.

Another messaging pattern, in addition to the response request of AJAX, is needed — one that works at any scale. PubSub (as in “publish and subscribe”) is an established messaging pattern that achieves this. In this article, we’ll look at precisely how PubSub solves the updating problem, and we’ll look at one particular solution (the WAMP protocol) that integrates both the calling of procedures on the server and PubSub into a single API.