HTTP data streaming for beginners?

Question

I am starting to work on a project where I need to stream Twitter data using PowerTrack/GNIP and I have to be honest when I say I am very very inexperienced when it comes to networks and I have absolutely no knowledge when it comes to Data Stream (HTTP), how they work etc.

Are there any resources out there that go through all of this in simple terms? I would love to be able to map Data streaming process in my head before I start looking at APIs etc.

Thanks

Answer 1

Take a look at the following two resources which give a good overview of video streaming. Video streaming has probably more background available and should help you understand the concepts:

• https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/NetworkingInternet/Conceptual/StreamingMediaGuide/Introduction/Introduction.html
• http://www.jwplayer.com/blog/what-is-video-streaming/

In very simple terms, streaming breaks a large file or live stream into chunks, and sends those chunks one after another to a client (e.g. browser). The client can generally request a start point for content which is not a live stream. In the background this generally works by the client sending requests for each individual chunk (rather than just one request with multiple responses).

The advantage of the multiple request approach is that you know the client is actually still interested (e.g. the user has not browser to another page etc) and for video and audio etc the client can dynamically request different bandwidth files depending on the current network connection - see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_bitrate_streaming.

Twitter do have a streaming page also, but you have probably already seen this:

• https://dev.twitter.com/streaming/overview