Polling
Polling is a programming technique where a client or system repeatedly checks (polls) a server, service, or resource at regular intervals to determine if new data, events, or state changes are available. It involves making periodic requests to query for updates, rather than relying on push-based notifications. This approach is commonly used in scenarios where real-time communication isn't feasible or when dealing with systems that don't support event-driven architectures.
Developers should use polling when building applications that need to monitor status, fetch updates from APIs without webhooks, or interact with legacy systems lacking push capabilities. It's particularly useful in IoT devices checking sensor data, batch processing jobs querying for task completion, or simple UI components refreshing data periodically, though it can be inefficient for high-frequency updates due to network overhead and latency.