Just to make the decision simpler between mailslots and named pipes. Some developers choose to use named pipes instead of mailslots for interprocess communications. Named pipes are a simple way for two processes to exchange messages. Mailslots, on the other hand, are a simple way for a process to broadcast messages to many other processes. Another issue in the choice between mailslots and named pipes is that mailslots use datagrams, and named pipes do not. A datagram is a small packet of information that the network sends along the wire. Like a radio or television broadcast, a datagram offers no confirmation of receipt; there is no way to guarantee that a datagram has been received. Just as mountains, large buildings, or interfering signals might cause a radio or television signal to get lost, there are things the sender has no knowledge of that can prevent a datagram from reaching a particular destination. Named pipes are more like simple one-to-one telephone calls: you can talk only to one party, but you know that the conversation is occurring. So, if an application requires guaranteed reception, it should use a named pipe; but named pipes cannot broadcast. Mailslots do not guarantee reception, but they can broadcast. HTH grubi. |