Building Real-Time Text Streaming with SSE in Node.js

Axrisi used Server-Sent Events (SSE) for streaming AI-generated text to a browser, prioritizing low latency for user immersion. Traditional polling methods proved insufficient for handling the high volume of concurrent users. SSE's lightweight protocol, automatic reconnection, and native browser support were key advantages. Their NestJS server implementation uses a POST route to handle SSE connections, processing AI-generated text chunks and sending them as JSON payloads. The client-side uses an EventSource to receive and process these events, updating the UI accordingly. Performance improvements included lower CPU usage and latency, while maintaining efficient memory usage. Robust resource management involves connection tracking and cleanup on disconnects to prevent orphaned processes. Security measures include authentication via JWT and rate limiting to prevent abuse. SSE isn't ideal for all scenarios, especially those requiring bidirectional communication or binary data. Axrisi's experience demonstrates SSE's effectiveness for one-way streaming, enhancing user experience in their AI text processing extension.