Inter App Communication

[baray98]

I have a Qt application and A Borland application but i want to establish a link between the two. Link so that i can send some info back and forth.

Is there any inter app communication library thats is useful for my situation? I dont want to do something if something is available out there. I am hearing SOAP, DBUS might work.

I was thinking of using sockets .. if i can't find anything...

Suggestions guys,

baray98

[Lykurg]

Hi,

what's about the examples Fortune Server and Fortune Client from the docs. Maybe you could you use them?

Lykurg

[squidge]

I think you mean Inter-Process Communication (IPC). Depending on what you want to share you have various options. File mapping, mailslots, pipes, rpc...

Since you want to communication with a builder program which may not take advantage of Qt, see here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...8VS.85%29.aspx

[baray98]

thanks for the reply guys....

I have some experience in using sockets in Qt. But I want to have a library so that my builder and Qt can use, and if i have to change something / change the way i am communicating on things, then ill just change it in my library...

I need some good read on this actually to produce a good architecture in my library..Any body has some links of a good IPC systems?

here are my reuirements if have to build a lib:

There is only one thing in common in apps C++ so my lib should be in C++;
The lib should shield my apps from shift of IPC technology , i.e if i move from SOCKETS to PIPE changed should be just in lib.


suggestions of some GURU are most welcome,

baray98

[squidge]

Before we can suggest methods, you need to tell us what you are sharing, sizes, frequency... Each method has it's own advantages and disadvantages.

[baray98]

okey .. Here we go ,

I want my apps to send small information back and forth ,small in the sense that an app may send maximum of 255 bytes @ really low frequency ,everytime the user click to send messsage, no such thing as periodic sending of messages. The length of messages may grow if i will pick an XML format on my messages but..I am okey just sending it with my own format.

I want every instance of these apps be discoverable on the network , (Maybe I should start with discoverable within the PC ) example if I have an app called QT1 and BORLAND1. QT1 has 2 instances and BORLAND1 has 3 instances then each app should see 4 targets. An app should be able to send and recieve messages to and from each target. Message content and format may vary between each app, adopting to what message format and content should be handled by the sender/client app

An app can be a client ,when it tries to connect to a target , and it can be a server when some app is trying to connect to it.


+++++ here's my plan+++++++++++++++
I was thinking of having another SERVER type app that will act as a HUB in which all my app can connect. then in that token a client app can ask the server list of targets

To connect to a target , an app will connect to the server then send its message through the server , server will route the message to its destination. Destination respond to the server, then server route it back to the sender

I have no idea how to implement this yet.. I am leaning towards sockets,.. I may have problem when i go Inter network since my server will reside on each PC..

Any suggestions?

baray98

[pitonyak]

Does the dbus module work on Windows (I use QT primarily on Linux)...

http://doc.trolltech.com/4.6/intro-to-dbus.html

http://dbus.freedesktop.org/doc/dbus-tutorial.html

[baray98]

i think they (DBUS) have a version or a branch for windows ,someone told me that Bonjour from apple might work for me... any thoughts on this one...

baray98

[pitonyak]

My did not intend to recommend downloading and using an external library. I was trying to recommend a possible QT library to solve the problem :-)

I have never used Bonjour, but I thought that its claim to fame was finding services on the network; for example, printers or other computers. This portion may be a good fit, because perhaps this will help with the discovery portion of your task. Watch the license agreement carefully to make certain that it is compatible with how you desire to release your application.

[baray98]

I wish i could just stay in Qt library but I have another app from borland which I would like to communicate to.

[Corinzio]

maybe MSMQ could do something for you....
Microsoft Message Queuing http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...q/default.mspx
bye

[squidge]

Mail slots come to mind. They work both locally and over a local network (but not over WANs such as the Internet). They function as a server-client relationship.

[baray98]

mail slot sound interesting ... any link? for a good read

[squidge]

Sure, explanation and example code: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/IP/mailslots.aspx