Real-time web – Automated Hacks

Chapter 29: Before Server-Sent Events—How the Early Web (1990–1994) Learned to Want Streaming APIs

Server-Sent Events (SSE) arrived much later, but the need for streaming updates was visible from the Web’s earliest days. This chapter traces how HTTP’s simple request/response model (1990–1994) created both the problem—and the early experiments—that led to modern streaming web APIs.

Chapter 28: Before WebSockets — Real-Time Web Communication Dreams in the Web’s First HTTP Interfaces (1990–1994)

In the Web’s first years, HTTP’s simple request/response model made “real-time” feel out of reach. This chapter traces the early interface patterns—HTTP/0.9, evolving headers, and CGI scripts—that set the stage for later solutions like the WebSocket API.