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I would like to research a technique for building Web API methods but I am having trouble looking up information on it partly because I do not know what the technique is called. The idea is that instead of the client polling the web API on a tight loop and taking action when the response data changes, instead the server holds the call open until it sees the data change and then completes the request. This is more efficient because less time is spent making web connections as each call from the client is utilized to it's full extent: if new data is available before the web API call's timeout is reached then the call can immediately return that new data.

What is this technique called?

dumbledad
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    This might help: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11077857/what-are-long-polling-websockets-server-sent-events-sse-and-comet – IMSoP Dec 14 '14 at 22:08

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Long polling. Not tried it myself yet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push_technology#Long_polling

jameswilddev
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  • Thanks. Hopefully I'll get to mark this as the answer before the question is closed; it feels like a race! – dumbledad Dec 14 '14 at 22:20