Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- developers:websocket [2025/03/14 02:56] – chad
+++ developers:websocket [2025/03/14 17:56] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-====== Getting Started ======
+===== WebSocket API Introduction =====
-To begin integrating, visit the [[getting_started|Getting Started]] guide for **connection details, authentication steps, and demo projects**.
+The WebSocket API provides a high-performance, low-latency communication channel for real-time trading data and order execution. This section introduces the key technologies used in the API: **WebSockets** and **Google Protocol Buffers (Protobuf)**.
-For a detailed breakdown of all available messages, see the [[message_reference|Message Reference]].
+==== WebSockets ====
+WebSockets establish a persistent, full-duplex connection between the client and server, allowing for continuous bi-directional message exchange. This ensures minimal latency, making it ideal for market data feeds and order updates.
-----
+**Key Advantages:**
+  * Persistent connection reduces handshake overhead
+  * Low-latency, real-time data exchange
+  * Efficient bandwidth usage compared to REST APIs
-💡 **Tip:** Use WebSocket clients like `wscat` or our sample SDKs to test the API before building your integration.
+==== Google Protocol Buffers (Protobuf) ====
+The API utilizes Protobuf for efficient, compact, and high-speed message serialization. Unlike JSON or XML, Protobuf messages are smaller and faster to parse, making them well-suited for high-frequency trading applications.
+**Why Protobuf?**
+  * **Compact Encoding:** Reduces message size for faster transmission
+  * **High Performance:** Faster serialization/deserialization than JSON
+  * **Schema Evolution:** Backward-compatible changes allow for future expansion without breaking existing clients
+==== Communication Model ====
+The API follows a structured messaging approach:
+  * **Client Messages:** Requests sent from clients to the server (e.g., order submission, subscription requests)
+  * **Server Messages:** Responses and real-time updates sent from the server (e.g., trade confirmations, market data)
+==== Message Structure Overview ====
+All messages are wrapped within a top-level client or server message envelope. This structure ensures extensibility and consistency across different message types.
+**Example Envelope:**
+```
+message ClientMessage {
+  oneof payload {
+    SubscribeRequest subscribe = 1;
+    OrderRequest order = 2;
+  }
+}
+message ServerMessage {
+  oneof payload {
+    MarketUpdate market_data = 1;
+    OrderResponse order_response = 2;
+  }
+}
+```
+This design enables efficient message parsing while maintaining flexibility.
+==== Next Steps ====
+Continue to the **[Connecting and Authenticating](developers:websocket:connecting)** section to learn how to establish a WebSocket connection and authenticate your session.
-===== Next Steps =====
-  * Connect and Authenticate to **market data streams** ([[api:websocket:connecting|Connecting and Authenticating]]).