A Client and Server Program using TCP ensures reliable, connection-oriented communication. The server listens on a specific port and waits for client requests, establishing a connection to exchange data with guaranteed delivery. Conversely, a UDP based program offers connectionless, faster communication, where the server receives and processes datagrams from clients without establishing a dedicated connection, making it suitable for applications where speed is prioritized over reliability. Both protocols serve distinct needs based on the application's requirements for data integrity and transmission speed.
- Step 1: Complie The Program
gcc tcpServer.c -o tcpServer # after compiling tcpServer.c, It instructs the compiler to output the compiled executable with the name tcpServer. gcc tcpClient.c -o tcpClient # after compiling tcpClient.c, It instructs the compiler to output the compiled executable with the name tcpClient.
- Step 2: Run the Program
./tcpServer ./tcpClient # run it in another terminal window
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Step 1: Complie The Program
gcc udpServer.c -o udpServer gcc udpClient.c -o udpClient
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Step 2: Run the Program
./udpServer 5566 # send the port number through argument ./udpClient 5566 # run it in another terminal window
Socket programming is a way to connect two nodes on a network to communicate with each other. It uses socket APIs to establish communication links between local and remote processes. Sockets are a combination of an IP address and software port number that allows communication between multiple processes.
- A socket is effectively a type of file handle.
- A file handle in C is a pointer to a file. It is a data structure that holds information about the file
- You can read and write it (mostly) like any other file handle and have the data go to and come from the other end of the session.
- The specific actions you're describing are for the server end of a socket.
- A server establishes (binds to) a socket which can be used to accept incoming connections.
- Upon acceptance, you get another socket for the established session so that the server can go back and listen on the original socket for more incoming connections.
- A socket allows an application to "plug in" to the network and communicate with other applications that are also plugged in to the same network.
- Information written to the socket by an application on one machine can be read by an application on a different machine, and vice versa.
| Basis | TCP | UDP |
|---|---|---|
| Connection | Connection Oriented | connectionless |
| Usage | High reliability, critical-less transmission time | fast, efficient, small queries, huge number of clients |
| Ordering of data packets | rearranges packets in order | No inherent order |
| Reliability | Yes | No |
| Streaming od Data | Read as a Byte Stream | Sent and read individually |
| Error Checking | Error Checking and Recovery | Simply error checking, no error recovery |
| Acknowledgement | Acknowledgement segments | No acknowledgment |
