Starting with Union 1.1.0, OrbiterMicro (Union's JavaScript framework) includes native support for WebSocket. Using WebSocket, JavaScript applications can conduct network communications at speeds that rival ActionScript's XMLSocket and Socket (though no browser currently supports native binary data transfer). Compared to AJAX long-polling techniques (aka Comet), a basic ping (message roundtrip) over WebSocket is about twice as fast as traditional HTTP (see the live test at the link below). WebSocket also reduces bandwidth consumption by removing both redundant HTTP polling and per-message HTTP headers.
In total, Union now supports three transport mechanisms: Flash's XMLSocket, WebSocket, and traditional HTTP (a custom form of Comet). All three transports can be used at same time over the same port, allowing a JavaScript application running on one machine to communicate directly with a Flash application running on another.
For a detailed explanation of how WebSocket communications work, how WebSocket benefits networked applications, and how to use WebSocket with Union Platform, see:
Posted by moock at August 10, 2011 12:08 PM