A C# implementation of the WebSocket protocol providing both client and server functionality with RFC 6455 compliance.
websocket-sharp is a C# library that implements the WebSocket protocol for both client and server applications. It provides a complete solution for establishing real-time, bidirectional communication channels over a single TCP connection, enabling features like live chat, notifications, and data streaming. The library solves the problem of needing separate implementations for WebSocket clients and servers by offering both in one package.
C# and .NET developers building real-time applications such as chat systems, live dashboards, multiplayer games, or any service requiring persistent connections between clients and servers. It's also suitable for Unity developers needing WebSocket support in their games.
Developers choose websocket-sharp because it's a single, self-contained library that handles both client and server WebSocket communication with full RFC 6455 compliance. It offers extensive features like compression, SSL/TLS, authentication, and proxy support out of the box, eliminating the need for multiple dependencies or custom implementations.
A C# implementation of the WebSocket protocol client and server
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Implements RFC 6455 with extensions like permessage-deflate compression, ensuring reliable and standards-based WebSocket communication as highlighted in the README's specifications section.
Provides both WebSocket client and server implementations in a single assembly (websocket-sharp.dll), reducing dependencies and simplifying development for bidirectional real-time apps.
Supports SSL/TLS encryption, HTTP Basic/Digest authentication, and proxy server connections with authentication, offering robust security options out of the box.
Allows deep customization through events, query strings, headers, cookies, and user-defined behaviors, as demonstrated in the usage examples for client and server setups.
Works with .NET Framework 3.5+, Mono, and Unity, making it versatile for legacy systems, cross-platform apps, and game development.
The library is still listed as a prerelease on NuGet, which may indicate instability or lack of official production-ready support, potentially deterring enterprise adoption.
Requires self-building the DLL for some setups (e.g., Unity integration), adding extra steps and potential configuration hurdles compared to plug-and-play libraries.
The README admits that per-message compression does not support context takeover, which can reduce bandwidth savings in high-frequency message scenarios.
With older draft branches (hybi-00, draft75) no longer maintained and the main version still prerelease, there are concerns about ongoing updates, bug fixes, and compatibility with newer .NET versions.