inter-software communication

[vampke]

Hi guys,

I was wondering about something: is there a way to communicate with another program/process on the PC without using files?
What would this look like? Is there a search term I can use to get more info?
This is not a vb.net question per se, but a general software question.

Thanks!

v.

[G_Waddell]

Hi

You'll need to be more specific, it really depends on the program you are communicating with and other factors.

For example, an ASP.NET website on a webserver will usually be using ADO.NET to communicate with a database program on another server. which may in turn be used by an application on a network to provide the same data for some other purpose. There are no files being transfered just data.

[adams161]

one method I've seen for inter process communication is pipes. found this link for pipes in .net ( didn't check language now that i think of it c# or vb)

http://www.switchonthecode.com/tutorials/dotnet-35-adds-named-pipes-support

a typical way I've seen pipes work is one program communicates through standard input / output like a console program, and the other program opens it. in programs that do this for example 'google winboard', the console program is never seen. winboard opens chess engines, and there are hundreds of engines that can plug in, and winboard serves as the interface to play. the console chess engine doesn't worry about a board or GUI, it sends typed moves and receives typed moves from winboard.

pipes work on same computer for both processes and there is an input and output pipe. the console program ( as I've seen it done) doesn't have to know its having its input and output directed to a pipe. Pipes aren't specific to .net and winboard is a c++ program.

[vampke]

@G Waddel: I understand the concept of databases, this is not what I meant.
@adams161: thanks for the answer, I'm gonna google on that