The client IPC API library module has the file name ipclient.c. This module provides a high level IPC interface for a client application. The Unix version of this API uses the TCP Berkeley sockets (BSD) interprocess communication method. The Windows version of this API uses the TCP Winsock interprocess communication method. The QNX 4.x version uses its own message passing IPC method. This module contains global client data depending on the platform.

Any mention of QNX in this documentation refers to the QNX 4.x OS.

Starting in GPL package version 1.33, this module has been re-written to connect once and keep the socket open until closed or upon a socket communication error. Note that this re-write applies to the TCP IPC method only.

Here is a list of functions in the client IPC API library module:

• ipc_set_active
• ipc_get_active
• ipc_send_receive
• ipc_close
• ipclient_connect

Module Dependencies

The following modules are required along with this module:

• ipcomm.c (except QNX)

Just make sure you compile and link this module along with the other required modules.

Module Header Files

This module requires the header files:

• stdhead.h
• flsocket.h
• ipcomm.h (except QNX)
• ipclient.h

Module Functions

ipc_set_active

TCP Proto  : int ipc_set_active(char *host_name, int port_number)
QNX Proto  : int ipc_set_active(char *host_name)
Parameters :
      Name : host_name
Description: host name of server (TCP) or nameloc name (QNX)

      Name : port_number
Description: TCP port number of server

Returns    : TRUE upon success, FALSE otherwise

This function will load the host_name and port_number into the module global data variables making these values the current server specification. The TCP variant will also close any open socket and connect to the specified server. Since the QNX message passing IPC method does not have the concept of a port number, this parameter does not exist for this platform.

ipc_get_active

TCP Proto  : int ipc_get_active(char *host_name, int *port_number)
QNX Proto  : int ipc_get_active(char *host_name)
Parameters :
      Name : host_name
Description: returned host name of server (TCP), nameloc name (QNX)

      Name : port_number
Description: returned port number of server

Returns    : TRUE upon success, FALSE otherwise

This function will obtain the host name and port number of the currently defined server. Since the QNX message passing IPC does not have the concept of a port number, this parameter does not exist for this platform.

ipc_send_receive

TCP Proto  : int ipc_send_receive(char *sbuf, char *rbuf)
QNX Proto  : int ipc_send_receive(char *sbuf, char *rbuf, int size_rbuf)
Parameters :
      Name : sbuf
Description: send data buffer

      Name : rbuf
Description: returned receive data buffer

      Name : size_rbuf
Description: size (in bytes) of the receive buffer

Returns    : TRUE upon success, FALSE otherwise

This function will connect to the currently defined server, transmit the send data buffer and wait for the receive data buffer. Upon success, the receive data buffer will be returned. The receive data buffer must already be allocated to sufficient size by the caller.

ipc_close

Prototype  : int ipc_close(void)
Returns    : TRUE upon success, FALSE otherwise

This function will close the client socket. This function applies to TCP IPC method only.

ipclient_connect

Prototype  : static int ipclient_connect(void)
Returns    : TRUE upon success, FALSE otherwise

This private function will attempt to connect to the currently defined socket server. This function applies to TCP socket IPC method only.