When should I use `publishReplay` vs `shareReplay`?

Question

I already know that

• publish shares a single subscription and also returns a ConnectableObservable ( so we have to Connect())

• Share() is publish().refcount()

The Replay postfix is pretty obvious, it returns its last emission/s.

Let's take for example an Angular HTTP request with present AND future subscription :

<p>{{ (person | async)?.id   }}</p> //present markup  <p *ngIf=”show”>{{ (person | async)?.userId }}</p> <!-- future markup --> 

If I don't want multiple http requests I can use :

publishReplay().Connect() 

But I can also use: shareReplay(), but I'm sure that there is one here that is more correct to use than the other.

Question :

When should I use publishReplay vs shareReplay? What will be the difference in terms of that HTTP present & future request?

_{NB Why there's no documentation about shareReplay?}

Answer 1

shareReplay() is basically publishReplay().refCount()

Definitely not.

Both shareReplay and publishReplay (+ calling connect on it) will make the observable behind it hot.

But the very important difference between them is:

• shareReplay: won't stop emitting until it's completed, no matter if there are no subscriptions anymore or not.
• publishReplay: will stop after the last subscriber unsubscribes if used together with refCount

Imho this is a crucial information.