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Updated on 2025-03-05

Summary of the problem of integrating SSE real-time communication in Spring Boot

Summary of the problem of integrating SSE real-time communication in Spring Boot

Updated: January 13, 2025 14:19:32 Author: Qingtian Fei Xue
This article introduces the server-Sent Events (SSE) technology, its main features include one-way data flow, automatic reconnection, custom event types, etc. SSE is suitable for real-time update scenarios, such as news push, comment system, etc. Interested friends follow the editor to take a look.

Server-Sent Events (SSE) is a technology that allows web pages to be updated in real time. Imagine you are browsing a web page that needs to be automatically updated when new information is available, such as latest news from a news website, social media notifications or price changes in the stock market. SSE makes this real-time update possible, and it is implemented via a normal HTTP connection, meaning it does not require any special protocols or complex setups.

The main features of SSE

  • Based on HTTP:SSE uses the standard HTTP protocol to communicate, so it is easy to integrate into existing network architectures without additional configuration.
  • One-way data flow: Unlike WebSocket, SSE only allows the server to push data to the client, not the other way around. This is useful for scenarios where only updates are required to be received from the server, such as live comments or notification reminders.
  • Automatic reconnection: If the connection is interrupted for some reason, the browser will automatically try to reconnect to the server, ensuring that the user does not miss any updates.
  • Custom event type: In addition to basic data push, SSE also allows the server to send specific types of events, so that the client can respond accordingly accordingly according to different event types.
  • Lightweight and simple: Compared with other technologies such as WebSocket, SSE is simpler to implement and is suitable for application scenarios that do not require two-way communication. For developers, this means less code and a system that is easier to maintain.

Add dependencies

<dependency>
    <groupId></groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
</dependency>

Create an SSE controller

import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
@CrossOrigin
@RestController
@RequestMapping("sse")
public class SseController {
    private final ExecutorService executorService = ();
    @GetMapping("/handleSse")
    public SseEmitter handleSse() {
        SseEmitter emitter = new SseEmitter();
        (() -&gt; {
            try {
                for (int i = 0; i &lt; 10; i++) {
                    (().name("message").data("The database is coming" + i));
                    (1000);
                }
                ();
            } catch (IOException | InterruptedException e) {
                (e);
            }
        });
        return emitter;
    }
}

Client implementation

&lt;!DOCTYPE html&gt;
&lt;html&gt;
&lt;body&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;SSE Demo&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;div &gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;button &gt;connect&lt;/button&gt;
&lt;button  disabled&gt;断开connect&lt;/button&gt;
&lt;script&gt;
    let eventSource = null;
    const messages = ('messages');
    const connectButton = ('connectButton');
    const disconnectButton = ('disconnectButton');
    function connect() {
        if (eventSource) return; // If you have already connected, no repeated creation        eventSource = new EventSource('http://localhost:8081/items/handleSse');
         = function(event) {
            const message = ('p');
             = ;
            (message);
        };
         = function(error) {
            ('EventSource failed:', error);
            disconnect(); // Try to disconnect when an error occurs        };
        // Disable the connection button and enable the disconnect button         = true;
         = false;
    }
    function disconnect() {
        if (!eventSource) return; // If there is no connection, no action is performed        ();
        eventSource = null;
        // Enable the connection button, disable the disconnect button         = false;
         = true;
    }
    // Add event listener to the button    ('click', connect);
    ('click', disconnect);
&lt;/script&gt;
&lt;/body&gt;
&lt;/html&gt;

Advantages and disadvantages of SSE (server sending events) and applicable scenarios

advantage

  • Simple and easy to use: Compared with WebSocket, SSE does not require a complicated handshake process. Its API design is intuitive and developers can get started faster.
  • Extensive browser support: Almost all modern browsers support SSE, including those on phones and tablets, which means it can work on almost any device.
  • High performance and low latency: Compared with the traditional polling method, SSE reduces unnecessary requests, reduces server burden, and improves the speed of data updates.
  • Automatic reconnect function: When the network connection is interrupted, the browser will automatically try to reconnect to the server, which simplifies the developer's code.

shortcoming

  • One-way communication restrictions: SSE only allows the server to push information to the client. If you need to send data from the client to the server, you must use other methods or techniques.
  • Rely on HTTP long connections: Although SSE optimizes data transfer, its implementation is still based on HTTP connections, which may encounter problems when network conditions are poor or when passing through some proxy servers.

Applicable scenarios

SSE is ideal for use in applications where only the server needs to push real-time updates to the client, such as:

  • Real-time news updates
  • Notice of stock price change
  • Social media dynamic reminder
  • Real-time comment stream
  • System status monitoring

SSE vs. Polling vs. WebSocket

  • The difference between SSE and polling: Traditional polling is a timely request of the client to ask the server whether there is new data. This method not only increases the pressure on the server, but also brings higher latency. SSE allows the server to actively push new data to the client when there is new data, reducing unnecessary requests and improving performance and user experience.
  • Comparison between SSE and WebSocket：
    • Communication direction: WebSocket supports two-way communication, which means that both the client and the server can send messages at any time; while SSE only allows the server to push information to the client.
    • Protocol basis: WebSocket uses its own protocol, while SSE is based on the standard HTTP/HTTPS protocol, making SSE easier to deploy and debug.
    • Connection Management: After WebSocket is established, the connection is kept open until it is explicitly closed; while SSE will naturally disconnect after each event push, and then re-establish the connection as needed.
    • Compatibility and security: Since SSE is based on the HTTP protocol, it performs better in network traversal and is able to better utilize existing security mechanisms (such as HTTPS).
  • Select a suggestion
    • polling: Suitable for scenarios where real-time requirements are not high and only need to occasionally check for updates. However, this method will increase the server load.
    • SSE: SSE is a good choice for applications that require real-time push updates but do not involve two-way communication because it is simple to implement and has good browser compatibility.
    • WebSocket: Suitable for applications that require frequent two-way communication, such as online chat rooms or multi-player online games.

In short, which technology to choose depends on your specific needs and technology stack. If you just need a server to push information to the client and want to implement it as simple as possible, SSE may be the best choice.

This is the end of this article about Spring Boot integrating SSE real-time communication. For more relevant Spring Boot SSE real-time communication content, please search for my previous articles or continue browsing the related articles below. I hope everyone will support me in the future!

  • Spring
  • Boot
  • SSE
  • Real-time communication

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