Frontend System Design Course
Frontend System Design
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Beginner

Polling

Definition

Short Polling is the client making repetitive HTTP requests to the server at fixed intervals (e.g., every 5 seconds) to check for new data.

Explain Like I'm New

Kids in the back seat constantly asking 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?'

Interview Questions

basic

  • What is the core concept of Polling?
  • What are the pros and cons of Polling?

intermediate

  • How does Polling impact SEO and initial page load times?
  • When would you NOT choose to use Polling?

advanced

  • How does Polling fit into a heavily scaled microservices architecture?
  • What are the security implications of Polling?

trick

  • Can you combine Polling with other rendering strategies on the same page?

Flash Cards

Question

Define Polling.

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Answer

Polling is a critical architectural pattern in frontend design.

Question

What is the main tradeoff of Polling?

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Answer

Usually a tradeoff between Server CPU usage, TTFB (Time to First Byte), and Client CPU usage.