What tasks does the socket solve?
Sockets are a fundamental tool in network programming and serve several important tasks. Here are some common tasks that sockets help to solve:
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Network Communication: Sockets facilitate communication between different processes or systems over a network. They enable the exchange of data, such as messages or files, between a client and a server or between peers in a peer-to-peer network.
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Client-Server Communication: Sockets are commonly used to establish communication between a client application and a server application. The client and server can exchange information, requests, and responses using sockets.
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Inter-Process Communication: Sockets enable communication between different processes or threads within a single system. This allows processes to exchange data and synchronize their activities.
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Protocol Implementation: Sockets provide a programming interface to implement various network protocols, such as HTTP, FTP, TCP, UDP, etc. Developers can utilize sockets to handle the low-level details of these protocols and build applications that conform to the specific protocol requirements.
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Real-Time Data Streaming: Sockets are often used for real-time data streaming, such as video streaming, audio streaming, or live data feeds. They allow continuous transmission of data between the sender and receiver, enabling real-time interaction and updates.
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Remote Procedure Calls (RPC): Sockets can be used to implement Remote Procedure Calls, where a client can invoke a method or function on a remote server as if it were a local call. Sockets facilitate the communication and data transfer between the client and the remote server.
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Distributed Computing: In distributed computing environments, sockets play a crucial role in enabling communication between different nodes or components of a distributed system. They allow distributed applications to exchange data and coordinate their activities.
Overall, sockets provide a flexible and powerful mechanism for network communication and inter-process communication, enabling various types of applications, protocols, and distributed systems to function effectively.