CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++windowspinvokewinsocksockets
user997112
user997112

Reputation: 30605

Windows lowest level socket programming?

I'm having a little bit of confusion regarding how low-level winsock is? I am wanting to write a VERY basic client-server program on windows. I don't really wish to use a bloated TCP or even UDP, just something extremely basic and low latency. Would winsock be ideal for this? Or is winsock the same as the windows network functions, just all packaged up (and possibly slower)? Would I be better just using PInvoke on the native windows networking functions?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 3387

Answers (2)

Andriy Tylychko
Andriy Tylychko

Reputation: 16256

First of all, it's possible to write completely new protocol w/o implementing network driver. For this you have raw sockets. On desktop Windows they are very limited (find "limitations").

It's possible, but not recommended. Don't reinvent the wheel and choose between UDP and TCP until you're completely sure you need something more sophisticated (but not simpler).

To send data over network (as opposite to direct cable link between two computers) you need IP protocol. To dispatch your data to right application you need transport protocol (UDP, TCP and others). UDP is almost the simplest possible one because that's was its main design goal. UDP provides additional addressing (port number in addition to IP address to deliver your data to right socket), packet boundaries ("length" field) and optional checksum. That's all and that's the minimum feature list. Take it and implement everything you need over UDP.

Next, if you need to be sure that your packets are delivered instead of silently dropped somewhere on the way (reliability), delivered in right order, if you'd like to know that somebody still listen to you on opposite end (connectivity) and other things implemented by best specialists, with hardware adapted to this implementation, tested by millions during decades, with lots of documentation, available on almost all possible platforms - use TCP.

Upvotes: 3

Tom Kerr
Tom Kerr

Reputation: 10720

Winsock, TCP, UDP, and any well received networking library built on top of these are all going to be comparable performance wise.

Use whichever one is easiest to get your work done.

Upvotes: 6

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