The “optimistic strategy” or “optimistic pattern” refers to an approach in software design and development where operations are performed with an assumption of success, and any potential issues or conflicts are addressed later if they arise.

An optimistic update is a strategy used in various computing systems, particularly in distributed systems and databases, to enhance performance and reduce latency. In optimistic updating, changes are made based on the assumption that conflicts are unlikely to occur, and if they do, they can be resolved later.

Optimistic updates are often preferred in scenarios where conflicts are infrequent or where the cost of resolving conflicts is lower than the cost of synchronizing every update in real-time.

In the context of RESTful APIs (Representational State Transfer), optimistic updates can be implemented to enhance the user experience by reducing perceived latency and providing a smoother interaction.

How optimistic updates work

The client sends a request to update a resource to the server. This request typically includes the new data or changes to be made (POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE).

• POST: Used to create a new resource on the server. The request body typically contains the data for the new resource.
• PUT: Used to update an existing resource on the server. The entire resource is replaced with the new data provided in the request body.
• PATCH: Used to apply partial updates to an existing resource. The request body contains only the changes to be applied to the resource.
• DELETE: Used to remove a resource from the server.

Upon sending the request, the client optimistically updates the user interface to reflect the changes. This gives the user immediate feedback that their action is being processed. The server receives the request and processes it, updating the corresponding resource. After processing the request, the server sends a response back to the client. This response may contain the updated resource or simply an acknowledgment of the successful update.

Upon receiving the response, the client reacts accordingly. If the update was successful, the client can leave the UI as is. If there was an error or the update failed for some reason, the client can revert the changes made optimistically and display an error message to the user.

Optimistic updates play a crucial role in enhancing the user experience by providing immediate feedback to the user’s actions. When the client optimistically updates the UI users perceive the application as more responsive. This creates a smoother and more interactive experience leading to increased user satisfaction and engagement with the application.

Conclusion

When implementing the optimistic update strategy, updating the UI while awaiting confirmation from the server leads to a more responsive and interactive user experience. In optimistic updating, the user interface is updated immediately, providing instant feedback to the user’s actions. Since there’s no delay waiting for confirmation from the server, there’s no need for a loading spinner or indicator. This immediate visual feedback contributes to a more seamless and responsive user experience.