The document discusses enhancing mobile user experience using WebSockets, highlighting their advantages over traditional AJAX polling due to faster communication and a bi-directional connection. It covers technical details such as WebSocket endpoints, lifecycle methods, and message handling, along with examples of Java and JavaScript implementations. Additionally, it addresses mobile-specific considerations and the performance implications of WebSocket use in native apps and browsers.

2. Enhancing Mobile User
Experience with WebSocket
Mauricio “Maltron” Leal
maltron@gmail.com
@maltron

3. WebSocket 101
(The Short Story)

4. Web Server
(WebSocket compliant)
Endpoint
Client
(WebSocket compliant)
Endpoint
ws://webserver:80/mycontext/endpoint ?
GET /mycontext/endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: webserver Upgrade: websocket
Connection: Upgrade
Sec-WebSocket-Key: xqBt3ImNzJbYqRINxEFlkg==
Origin: http://client
Sec-WebSocket-Version: 13

5. HTTP/1.1 101 Switching Protocols
Upgrade: websocket
Connection: Upgrade
Sec-WebSocket-Accept: K7DJLdLooIwIG/MOpvWFB3y3FE8=
Web Server
(WebSocket compliant)
Endpoint
Client
(WebSocket compliant)
Endpoint
HTTP/1.1 101 Switching Protocols

6. Web Server
(WebSocket compliant)
Endpoint
Client
(WebSocket compliant)
Endpoint
CONNECTED
A connection is established
and “never” closed
Bi-directional & full duplex connection on a
single TCP socket.
It can be secured using SSLIt can be on average, 700 x
faster than AJAX polling.

7. Web Server
(WebSocket compliant)
Endpoint
Client
(WebSocket compliant)
Endpoint
Message

8. Web Server
(WebSocket compliant)
Endpoint
Client
(WebSocket compliant)
Endpoint
Message

9. Endpoint Endpoint
Endpoint
Endpoint
Endpoint
Message

10. Endpoint
Message
Browser
(Using HTML 5)
Standalone
(Webscoket Client)
Mobile
(HTML 5 Browser)
Mobile
(WebSocket Client)

11. WebSocket Advanced
(The Geek Story)

12. Endpoint Endpoint
javax.websocket
Endpoint
javax.websocket
Endpoint
Endpoints represents an object that can handle
websocket conversations.
1 Instance = 1 Thread = 1 Connection

13. Endpoint
javax.websocket
Endpoint
For each endpoint class, holds lifecycle methods that
may be overridden to intercept a websocket open, error
and close events.
Lifecycle
Methods

14. Endpoint
javax.websocket
Endpoint
Programmatic Endpoint
public class MyEndpoint extends Endpoint {
@Override
public void onOpen(Session s,
EndpointConfig c) {
// A connection was established
}
@Override
public void onClose(Session s, CloseReason
reason) {}
@Override
public void onError(Session s, Throwable
thr) {}

15. Endpoint
javax.websocket
Endpoint
Programmatic Endpoint:
Need to create a Message Handler
public class MyEndpoint extends Endpoint {
...
@Override
public void onOpen(Session s,
EndpointConfig c) {
session.addMessageHandler(
new MessageHandler.Whole<String>()) {
@Override
public void onMessage(String m) {
try {
s.getBasicRemote().sendText(“hi”);
} catch(IOException e) {
// Houston: we‟ve got a problem
}
...
Message Handler

16. Endpoint
javax.websocket
Endpoint
Annotated Endpoint: Much Simpler
@ServerEndpoint(“/endpoint”)
public class MyEndpoint extends Endpoint {
@OnOpen
public void open(Session s) {}
@OnMessage
public void myMessage(String message) {}
@OnClose
public void close(Session s) {}
No need for a
Message Handler

17. Endpoint Endpoint
javax.websocket
Session
A Session represents a conversation between two
Endpoints.
It captures both Server and
Client State

18. Endpoint Endpoint
javax.websocket
Session
For sending a simple message to another Endpoint
try {
session.getBasicRemote().sendText(“Hello World”);
} catch(IOException e) {
// Houston: We‟ve got a problem
}
“Hello World”

19. Endpoint
Endpoint
javax.websocket
Session
try {
for(Session s: session.getOpenSessions())
s.getBasicRemote().sendText(“Hello All”);
} catch(IOException e) {
// Houston: We‟ve got a problem
}
EndpointFor sending the same message to all open Sessions

20. Endpoint Endpoint
javax.websocket
Session
Some other Session’s methods very useful
boolean isOpen()
boolean isSecure()
void setMaxIdleTimeout(long time)
void addMessageHandler(MessageHandler handler)
: Check if the connection is open
: Check if the connection is secure
: Max Idle Timeout for Inactivity
: Different Message Handlers

21. Endpoint
Waiting for Message to be delivered: Blocking
...
session.getBasicRemote().sendText(“Hi everyone”);
...
RemoteEndpoint.Basic getBasicRemote()

22. Endpoint
Create another Thread in order to send it.
...
session.getAsyncRemote().sendText(“Hi everyone”);
...
RemoteEndpoint.Async getAsyncRemote()

23. Endpoint
Messages can be in different types
RemoteEndpoint.Basic.sendText(String text)
Text Messages
RemoteEndpoint.Basic.sendBinary(ByteBuffer data)
Binary Messages
RemoteEndpoint.sendPing(ByteByffer data)
Ping Frame
RemoteEndpoint.sendPong(ByteBuffer data)
Pong Frame

24. Endpoint
@ServerEndpoint(“/response”)
public class Response {
@OnMessage
public void textMessage(String msg, Session s) {
System.out.println(“Text:”+msg);
}
@OnMessage
public void binaryMessage(Session s, ByteBuffer msg) {
System.out.println(“Binary:”+msg.toString());
}
@OnMessage
public void pongMessage(Session s, PongMessage msg) {
System.out.println(“Pong:”+msg.getApplicationData().
toString();
}
}
Receiving Different type of Messages

25. Endpoint Endpoint
public class Person {
private int ID;
public String name;
public String position;
...
POJO
{
“ID”: 2
“name”: “somebody@gmail.com”
“position”: “Developer”
}
JSON
Encoder
JSON
Encoder
Decouples the business logic from serialization and
deserialization

26. Endpoint Endpoint
public class Person {
private int ID;
public String name;
public String position;
...
POJO
Decoder
JSON
Decoder
{
“ID”: 2
“name”: “somebody@gmail.com”
“position”: “Developer”
}
JSON
Decouples the business logic from serialization and
deserialization

27. Endpoint Endpoint
o Access details of the initial HTTP request for a connection
You can provide custom configuration on how the
container creates a server endpoint instances.
o Perform custom checks on the Origin HTTP header
o Modify the WebSocket handshake response
o Choose a WebSocket subprotocol
o Control the instantiation and initialization of endpoint

28. Endpoint EndpointYou can provide custom configuration on how the
container creates a server endpoint instances.
@Override
public void modifyHandshake(ServerEndpointConfig config,
HandshakeRequest request, HandshakeResponse response) {
config.getUserProperties().put(“handshakereq”, req);
}

29. WebSocket@Mobile
(Sorry, no Windows Mobile)

30. Using Mobile’s
Browser
Using Native
Implementation
2 Different approaches for using WebSockets
The Connection is
never reliable
On a Mobile Universe
Using a open
connection for a long
time, can drain your
battery rapidly.
In Native apps, use
ONLY when the app
is on foregroud.

31. Using Mobile’s
Browser
The Good The Bad
No worries about
deployment:
It’s just a website
Not all Mobile Browsers
support WebSockets
Concern about different
version of browsers.
Must be deal with
JavaScript.
The same code for
every device

32. The Good The Bad
More easy ways to
support older versions of
iOS and Android.
Can’t reuse the same
code: Need to consider
different
implementations
More work on
maintenance
Using Native
Implementation More Control over a
Connection

33. 6.0
6.1
Safari
iOS
Browser
Android
Mini
Opera
Browser
Blackberry
Android
Chrome
Android
Firefox
7.0
5.0
7.0
source: http://caniuse.com/websockets
4.2
4.3
4.4
7.0
10.0 33.0 26.0
Mobile
Opera
12.1
16.0
Support of WebSocktes in Mobile Browsers

34. function WebSocketTest(){
if ("WebSocket" in window) {
// WebSocket Connection goes here
alert("WebSockets supported
rnrnBrowser: “);
} else {
// the browser doesn't support
alert("WebSockets NOT supported”);
}}
Testing if a WebSocket is supported in your Browser
(Using JavaScript)
$(document).ready(function() {
if( typeof(WebSocket) != "function" ) {
$('body').html("<h1>Error</h1><p>Your
browser does not support Web Sockets.
</p>");
}});
Essentially, just test if WebSocket is defined
or not

35. var connection = new WebSocket(
„ws://webserver:80/mycontext/endpoint‟);
connection.onopen = function() {
// connection opened
console.log(„connection open‟);
console.send(„Hello World‟);
}
connection.onmessage = function(message) {
console.log(„Received message from server:‟);
console.log(message);
}
A simple JavaScript code using WebSocket

36. A tool for helping Monitoring WebSocket Traffic: Chrome
Dev Tools
• Open up the Developer Tools
• Switch to the Network tab
• Click on the entry for your
WebSocket connection
• Switch to the Frames tab.
http://developers.google.com/chrome-developer-tool/
Google’s Chrome Dev Tools

37. Socket Rocket
https://github.com/square/SocketRocket
Unit WebSocket Client
https://code.google.com/p/unit/wiki/UnittWebSocketClient
iOS WebSocket Client Libraries
Recommended

38. Autobahn Android
http://autobahn.ws/android
WebSocket and Socket.IO
https://github.com/koush/android-websockets
Android WebSocket Client Libraries
Recommended
jWebSocket
https://jwebsocket.org/
Secure WebSockets
https://github.com/palmerc/SecureWebSockets

39. WebSocket@Show
Possible Scenarios

40. Enable “fast” notification for a “fast” reaction
• Real Time Notification: Seconds matter
Both iOS and Android has
Notification Systems.

41. Multiple devices (including mobile) to be in sync with
other sources
• Transfer several messages to be sure if
a device is in sync
• Exchange of several messages are
extremely fast

42. Enabling people in sharing and interacting in the same
content at the same time.
• Real Time Video Sharing
• Broader collaboration

43. Mobile Gaming: Synchronize all clients in a Massive
Multiplayer Gaming
• Synchronization of elements in all
clients, through the Server
• Adding instant notifications
• Instant chat between players

44. Presenting real time information from several sources.
• Instant information to the user
• Capacity to the user to react more
fast

45. Reading instant patient information and broadcasting to
his doctor
• Monitor life treaty information
• Broadcast to hospital / doctor

46. Enabling fast awareness in a large environment
• Awareness of other people in real time
• Keep track of living events
Client B
Client A

47. Connecting to other hardware (Raspberry Pi), which has
the capability of running WebSocket container.
http://developer.kaazing.com/portfolio/real-time-interactions-with-physical-objects-over-the-web/
• Using WebSockets as the default way to
connected to other hardware devices.
• Leveraging you WebSockets know-
how.

48. WebSocket@DevNation
Real-time collaborative writing:
When WebSocket met Ascii Doctor
4:50 pm
Room: 208
Maxime Gréau

49. Thank you
Special Thanks: Neto Marin <neto.marin at gmail.com>
maltron@gmail.com
Avaliable on Slideshare.net
http://www.slideshare.net/maltron/enhancing-mobile-user-experience-with-websocket