1. What is two-way data communication?

Preface

Traditionally, communication between a client (such as a web browser) and a server only happens in one direction the server sends messages to the client, and the client recieves them
That works really well for some applications (like your standard website) but what if you want something to be more interactive
- Imagine if you wanted to use Discord, but in order to see new messages you have to manually click refresh to ask the server for new messages, instead of them just appearing in your app
Two-way data communication refers to ability for a client and a server to exchange data in both directions (so both can send and recieve data) in real time

Two-way communication is critical for any real-time applications where data is going to change constantly
It also improves the user experience a lot, as it lets you update things in real time without needing user interaction

Live Chat Applications
- Messages typed by one user are instantly delivered to another.
- Example: Chat support systems or platforms like Discord
Multiplayer Games
- Players’ actions are sent to the server and reflected immediately for other players.
- Example: Online chess or real-time battle games.
Collaborative Tools
- Multiple users editing a document simultaneously and seeing changes in real-time.
- Example: Google Docs or Figma.
Live Notifications
- Alerts or updates delivered instantly without refreshing the page.
- Example: Social media notifications or breaking news alerts.
IoT (Internet of Things)
- Devices like smart thermostats that send data to servers and receive commands from users.