A stream socket provides communications between a client and a server

A stream socket provides a reliable, connection-oriented, sequenced, and unduplicated flow of data without record boundaries. Often implemented using the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), stream sockets allow for two-way data communication between a client and a server. Once a connection is established, data can be sent back and forth between the client and server until the connection is terminated by either side. Stream sockets are particularly suited for continuous transmission of data where the exact timing of arrival is not critical but the order and integrity of the data are, such as in file transfers, messaging apps, or any application where data must arrive the same way it was sent.