PipesServer

Remarks

This class implements a lightweight server based on the named pipes from System.IO.Pipes.

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Constructors

Syntax	Description
PipesServer (string sID)	Creates a PipesServer with the sID identifier.

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Events

Identifier	Type	Description
ClientConnected	PipeConnectionEvent	Raised when client has connected.
ClientDisconnected	PipeConnectionEvent	Raised when client has disconnected.
ClientMessage	PipeConnectionMessageEvent	Raised upon reception of client message.
Error	PipeExceptionEventHandler	Raised when an error has occurred.

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Methods

Method	Returns	Description
IsRunning()	bool	Returns true if the server has been started and is actively listening.
Send(PipeMessage message)	void	Sends a message to all clients connected to the server.
Send(PipeMessage message, string clientID)	void	Sends a message to a specific client from the list of connections.
Start()	void	Starts the server.
Stop()	void	Stops the server, sending disconnect events to each client, and shuts down the current active listener.

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Example

// Example C# code
using Nova.IPC.Pipes;

public class PipeServer
{

  private PipesServer server;

  public PipeServer(string pipeName)
  {
    server = new PipesServer(pipeName);
    server.ClientConnected += OnClientConnected;
    server.ClientDisconnected += OnClientDisconnected;
    server.ClientMessage += OnClientMessage;
    server.Error += OnError;
    server.Start();
    while (KeepRunning)
    {
      // Do nothing - wait for user to press 'q' key
    }
    server.Stop();
  }

  // Receives console key input from user.
  private bool KeepRunning
  {
    get
    {
      var key = Console.ReadKey();
      if (key.Key == ConsoleKey.Q) return false;
      else if (key.Key == ConsoleKey.S)
      {
        //PipeMessage sent by this server have a MsgCode of '1'.
        //The client should know what that code means, and how to interpret the associate MsgData
        PipeMessage pm = new PipeMessage();
        pm.MsgCode='1';
        pm.MsgData=new SomeObject().Serialize();
        server.Send(pm);
      }
      return true;
    }
  }

  private void OnClientConnected(PipesConnection connection)
  {
    Console.WriteLine("Client Connected: "+connection.ID);
    PipeMessage pm = new PipeMessage();
    pm.EncodeString("Welcome!");
    connection.Send(pm);
  }

  private void OnClientDisconnected(PipesConnection connection)
  {
    Console.WriteLine("Client {0} disconnected", connection.ID);
  }

  private void OnClientMessage(PipesConnection connection, PipeMessage message)
  {
    //Note that the server will only process string messages from the client. All other messages
    //remain unprocessed (other than to notify the user that they were received).
    switch (message.MsgCode)
    {
      case '0':
        Console.WriteLine("Client {0} says: {1}", connection.ID,message.DecodeString());
        break;
      default:
        Console.WriteLine("Server received unrecognized message code from {0}: {1}", connection.ID, message.MsgCode);
        break;
    }
  }

  private void OnError(Exception exception)
  {
    Console.Error.WriteLine("ERROR: {0}", exception);
  }

  public static void Main()
  {
    Console.WriteLine("Running in SERVER mode");
    Console.WriteLine("Press 's' to send an object message to the client");
    Console.WriteLine("Press 'q' to exit");
    new PipeServer("TestServer");
  }

}