Last week, I encountered some confusion regarding the concepts of polling and pulling. Thus, I did some research about it and compiled a list of data retrieval methods.
First l am going to clarify the difference between polling and pulling, both concepts involve the client initiating communication. However, they differ in the timing of these requests. In polling, the client repeatedly checks the server at fixed intervals for updates, regardless of whether changes have occurred. In contrast, pulling involves the client sending a request to the server using an API at a predefined or dynamic schedule. This approach offers more flexibility than fixed-interval polling, as the client can request updates strategically based on their needs. Polling is typically used for infrequent updates, while pulling allows for more targeted requests based on specific needs.
Webhooks are another popular method. When the server pushes updates to the client immediately when a specific event occurs, we call this the webhook method. It is mostly used for notification events where notifying the other side is crucial.
Database Querying is also a data retrieval method. It involves using a structured query language (SQL) to retrieve specific data from a database.
API keys allow you to retrieve data from external services or platforms in a controlled and secure manner.
Other methods are:
Web Scraping: Extracting data from websites by parsing and downloading the HTML content.
File Transfer Protocols (FTPs): Network protocols for transferring files between computers, providing secure methods for retrieving data files from remote locations.
Application Logs and Monitoring Tools: Resources used to retrieve historical data about system activity, user actions, or application performance.
I never tried these two methods below but I will list them down here for further reference.
Data Mining: This technique involves extracting and analyzing data from large datasets to uncover hidden patterns and insights.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR): This technology converts physical documents or images containing text into machine-readable format, allowing data extraction from scanned documents, handwritten notes, or images for integration into digital systems.
Lastly, to pick the ideal data retrieval method, assess factors like data type, update frequency, and technical complexity. For real-time needs, use webhooks; APIs provide flexibility, and polling works for less frequent updates. Mind ethical considerations, especially with web scraping, and ensure responsible data handling practices.
This is all for now. Thanks for giving time to read till the end.