New 3.0.0 beta SDKs for iOS, macOS and tvOS

We have recently released a new version of the SDKs for iOS, macOS and tvOS: 3.0.0 beta.

This version introduces a new major feature: support for WebSockets, together with a completely revised documentation and a plethora of minor improvements and bug fixes.

See below for more details.

Note: if you need download and example pointers, jump directly to the end of the post (“Get the SDKs”).

Support for WebSockets

3.0.0 beta is the first version to introduce the new TLCP protocol on SDKs for Apple platforms, launched with Lightstreamer Server version 6.1 in mid-February. The inclusion of TLCP opens the way for support of WebSockets as primary transport, which is now provided on all 3 SDKs, both downstream and upstream.

WebSockets provide a persistent, full-duplex communication channel between the client and the Server, reducing connection overhead to a minimum and hence improving the throughput, specifically in high-traffic situations.

WebSockets are now tried as first transport. When a WebSocket connection is available, the client reports a status of “CONNECTED:WS-STREAMING”. The client reverts automatically to HTTP streaming in case it is not available.

Documentation Revision

Another important update is the revision of API documentation. We have dropped the use of Doxygen in favour of Appledoc, which produces a docset more in line with Apple’s format.

E.g., the documentation for the LSLightstreamerClient subscribe: method went from this:

To this:

Moreover, Xcode previews are now much more readable, as API docs have been reformatted specifically for this purpose.

E.g., the Xcode preview for the same subscribe: method went from this:

To this:

Minor New Features

Two new methods have been added to the LSLightstreamerClient class for fine-tuning of HTTP cookies:

• addCookies:forURL:
• getCookiesForURL:

If your application uses custom cookies for authentication, with this new APIs you can add them before the connection is initiated and retrieve them after the connection has been established.

Other minor improvements are related to max bandwidth management and COMMAND mode subscription support. See the Change Log for a full list.

Requirements and Availability

The new 3.0.0 beta SDK requires Lightstreamer Server 6.1 and is available for download now, for you to try it out. We appreciate any feedback.

If you use CocoaPods, you can update to the new SDK simply specifying version ‘3.0.0-beta’ in  your pod file:

pod ‘Lightstreamer_iOS_Client’, ‘3.0.0-beta’

Otherwise refer to the box below for download links.