What distinguishes the WebSocket protocol from a regular network socket in the context of web communications?

WebSocket differs from a regular network socket in the context of web communications as follows:

• WebSocket protocol operates over TCP and is designed for bidirectional persistent communication between a client (usually a browser) and a server.
• Unlike regular HTTP requests, WebSocket establishes a connection once through a "handshake" and keeps it open, allowing real-time data exchange without repeated requests.
• A regular network socket is a lower-level data transfer mechanism, not standardized for the web, requiring additional logic to work with HTTP and browsers.
• WebSocket provides a standardized API in browsers, simplifying the implementation of interactive applications (chat, games, real-time updates).

Thus, WebSocket is a specialized protocol optimized for web communications with a persistent connection and bidirectional data exchange, unlike regular sockets which do not have built-in support for web standards.