Named Pipes in C#

I need to pass data from one process to another. In the "Visual C++ Version 6" world I would have used a global named pipe for this task. I'm developing in C# and would like to know what construct there is for either creating named pipes or for a "new" technique to pass data from one process to the other.

One other specific is that the process producing the information, i.e., filling the pipe, is a service created using C#. The service, when it receives a command needs to reply with a small amount of data to the process that sent the command to the service. I was planning to do this via a pipe. The service would create the global named pipe while the "client" would access the global named pipe using CreateFile.

- Neil Shore

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Named Pipes in C#

Sidon

Alan,< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Thanks for your reply. I have written code for named pipes using Visual C/C++ Version 6. So, I am familiar with the API and the code required. I hoped that the .net development environment had a class or namespace, or something that I missed in the documentation, to make the coding easier.

I would be interested in seeing your approach once you have it working.

Thanks again.

- Neil
KarenCV

OmegaMan,

No, LOL, I haven't been waiting all this time. My solution was to write a DLL in C++, which uses the Windows API, and then use a wrapper for the DLL in the C# application. It's running and installed in a number of locations.

However, thanks for the WCF .Net 3 solution. It will be a while before I can work in the WCF and .Net 3 world. I will still take a look at your blog and download the code.

Thanks for the post.

ShoreNuff
pdhingra

The example that is provided cannot be used with a multi-threaded client because the Read blocks the Write call too (on the client-side)

This is a simple implementation here ..

http://i-d-e-a-s.blogspot.com/2006/04/net-and-named-pipes.html

basically you use CreatFile to create a client pipe and pass the handle to the System.IO.FileStream and then you can use BeginRead and BeginWrite for Async IO.

--Yatharth
AlxSharp

Andreas,

Thanks, I've downloaded the project and played with it. I will probably use it in a stripped down version.

- Neil
Omega147

Hi,

I am failry new to C# but I have needed to write a multi-threaded messaging service using named pipes. You have to call native windows API functions to implement named pipes in the dot net environment. If you are interested I will send you the code when I have it running correctly.

Alan Seedhouse
A.T.
With the advent of newer technology, if you have been wating all this time <g>...I have created a named pipe system using WCF and .Net 3. Here is my article on my blog entitled Create a Intra-Application Named Pipe using WCF in .Net.
CRasmussen

This article might be helpful

http://www.codeproject.com/csharp/DotNetNamedPipesPart1.asp
Holly522

There is a complete sample provided to send strings to a server and get it returned. I even tested it in C# Express.

If you can not download the zip from codeproject you can get it at the authors website.

I am also looking to do some communication between .NET applications and it seems to be few alternatives to remoting. This could be an interesting alternative.
weezer24

Andreas,< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Thanks for your reply. I took a quick look at the article, but I'll need some time to review it. It figures "The Code Project" would have something about it. It may be overkill for what I need but it looks like a great starting place. I just thought that I was missing some documentation that would point me to a .net class or namespace to simplify coding pipes. I guess it is not so.

Thanks again.

- Neil
Named Pipes in C#

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