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Network Development Kit 2.0

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29 Dec 2006CPOL 2.9M   25.7K   495   601
Network Development Kit is a set of simple classes for a client-server architecture.

NDK Standard

NDK in an Extension DLL

Introduction

With the success of NDK 1.0, I decided to improve the functionality. NDK represents Network Development Kit. The NDK is a set of classes that implements a client/server architecture. The NDK hides all the complexity of the connection, sending, and receiving of data over a network. You only have to deal with three classes: CNDKServer, CNDKClient, and CNDKMessage. With just a few methods to override, you obtain a complete robust client/server application. The NDK is based on the class CSocket from MFC, so you can run your application on a local network or on the Internet without any change. To easily understand the integration of the NDK in an application, you'll find at the end of this article a complete chat application.

Classes

CNDKServer: Server side of the client/server architecture

Attributes:

  • BOOL IsStarted() const;
  • long GetPort() const;
  • long GetNbUsers() const;
  • void GetUserIds(CLongArray& alIds) const;

Operations:

  • BOOL StartListening(long lPort);
  • void Stop();
  • BOOL SendMessageToUser(long lUserId, CNDKMessage& message);
  • BOOL SendMessageToAllUsers(CNDKMessage& message);
  • BOOL SendMessageToSomeUsers(const CLongArray& alUserIds, CNDKMessage& message);
  • BOOL SendMessageToAllUsersExceptFor(long lUserId, CNDKMessage& message);
  • BOOL SendMessageToAllUsersExceptFor(const CLongArray& alUserIds, CNDKMessage& message);
  • BOOL DisconnectUser(long lUserId);
  • void DisconnectAllUsers();
  • BOOL PingUser(long lUserId);
  • void PingAllUsers();

Callbacks:

  • virtual BOOL OnIsConnectionAccepted() = 0;
  • virtual void OnConnect(long lUserId) = 0;
  • virtual void OnMessage(long lUserId, CNDKMessage& message) = 0;
  • virtual void OnDisconnect(long lUserId, NDKServerDisconnection disconnectionType) = 0;
  • virtual void OnPing(long lUserId, long lNbMilliseconds);

CNDKClient: Client side of the client/server architecture

Attributes:

  • BOOL IsConnected() const;
  • BOOL GetIpAndPort(CString& strIp, long& lPort) const;

Operations:

  • BOOL OpenConnection(const CString& strServerIp, long lPort);
  • void CloseConnection();
  • BOOL SendMessageToServer(CNDKMessage& message);
  • BOOL PingServer();

Callbacks:

  • virtual void OnMessage(CNDKMessage& message) = 0;
  • virtual void OnDisconnect(NDKClientDisconnection disconnectionType) = 0;
  • virtual void OnPing(long lNbMilliseconds);

CNDKMessage: Encapsulation of the data that is sent and received by CNDKServer and CNDKClient

Attributes:

  • void SetId(long lId);
  • long GetId() const;
  • int GetNbElements() const;

Operations:

  • void Add(TYPE typeData);
  • void SetAt(long lIndex, TYPE typeData);
  • void GetAt(long lIndex, TYPE& typeData) const;
  • void GetNext(TYPE& typeData);

Where TYPE can be a UCHAR, char, USHORT, short, UINT, int, long, float, double, CString, or LPVOID data.

What's new in 2.0

  • Hungarian notation is used everywhere
  • CNDKServer notifies automatically CNDKClient when it disconnects and vice-versa
  • CNDKServer has new methods to send a message to a group of users
  • CNDKMessage is easier to use and more robust
  • New methods to ping the server or the client
  • NDK prefix added to all classes to make sure that all class names are unique in your project
  • NDK is standalone or encapsulated in an extension DLL

Client/Server chat

Here are two screenshots of the chat application. Most features of the NDK are shown in both programs.

Client Image

Server Image

Sample code from the chat client

void CChatClientDlg::OnButtonSend() 
{
   if (UpdateData(TRUE))
   {
      // Create the message with a unique Id: ChatText
      CNDKMessage message(ChatText);

      // Add the data into the message
      message.Add(m_strChatInput);

      // Send the message to the server      
      SendMessageToServer(message);

      // Update the UI of the dialog
      AddText(m_strChatInput);

      m_strChatInput.Empty();
      UpdateData(FALSE);
   }
}

Sample code from the chat server

void CChatServerDlg::OnMessage(long lUserId, CNDKMessage& message)
{
   switch (message.GetId())
   {
      //...

      case ChatText:
      {
         CString strNickname;

         // Obtain the nickname stored in the map
         m_mapIdsNicknames.Lookup(lUserId, strNickname);

         CString strText;

         // Get the text encapsulated in the message
         message.GetAt(0, strText);

         // Update the UI of the dialog
         AddText(strNickname + _T(": ") + strText);

         // Prepare the message
         message.SetAt(0, strNickname);
         message.SetAt(1, strText);

         // Send the message to all others users
         SendMessageToAllUsersExceptFor(lUserId, message);
      }
      break;

      //...
   }
}

History

  • 17 December 2006
    • Fixed a bug in NDKMessage concerning the length parameter of the GetAt and GetNext methods.
  • 14 October 2005
    • Telnet connections are now disconnected when a connection sends data to the server. Thanks to Stephan Douglas for the solution.
    • Fixed a bug that resolves socket notification since the NDK uses Visual C++ .NET. After a short time, socket notifications were not send anymore.
    • A verification is now made in the serialization of a CNDKMessage to make sure that the message is really a CNDKMessage.
    • Fixed a bug in the method SendMessageToSomeUsers in the NDKServer.cpp.
    • The project is now converted for Visual C++ .NET.

Fact

In 2002, the NDK was used in two NASA experiments for the Endeavor mission.

Conclusion

You don't have to be a guru of networking to create a client/server application, you only need to understand the above classes.

If you use the NDK in your project, I would really appreciate to receive an E-mail from you. I plan to make a web page of all programs using the NDK.

I would like to thank Yannick Létourneau who helped me in NDK 1.0.

Good Programming!

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


Written By
Software Developer (Senior) Mirego
Canada Canada
My name is Sébastien Lachance.

I love C# developing Windows Phone and Windows 8 applications.

When I’m not in front of a computer, my hobbies include playing bridge, poker and other card games, biking, reading technology news.

Comments and Discussions

 
GeneralRe: vc6 vc9 bug error LNK2019 Pin
robustwell27-Jun-10 21:30
robustwell27-Jun-10 21:30 
GeneralRe: vc6 vc9 bug error LNK2019 Pin
bz_code29-May-11 14:47
bz_code29-May-11 14:47 
QuestionUpdated source code with bugfixes ? Pin
TommyTooth29-Apr-10 1:53
TommyTooth29-Apr-10 1:53 
AnswerRe: Updated source code with bugfixes ? Pin
ArchieCoder29-Apr-10 3:54
ArchieCoder29-Apr-10 3:54 
GeneralGreat Works! Pin
ditkit19-Apr-10 4:04
ditkit19-Apr-10 4:04 
GeneralRe: Great Works! Pin
ArchieCoder19-Apr-10 4:06
ArchieCoder19-Apr-10 4:06 
Questionfor windows mobile 5 ? Pin
Omega318-Mar-10 23:50
Omega318-Mar-10 23:50 
AnswerRe: for windows mobile 5 ? Pin
ArchieCoder19-Mar-10 4:21
ArchieCoder19-Mar-10 4:21 
It is based on CSocket from MFC, so yes as long as CSocket is implemented in the Mobile version of MFC.
GeneralRe: for windows mobile 5 ? Pin
Omega319-Mar-10 4:48
Omega319-Mar-10 4:48 
GeneralRe: for windows mobile 5 ? Pin
ArchieCoder19-Mar-10 4:49
ArchieCoder19-Mar-10 4:49 
Generalgood ! Pin
cen_jin_long22-Feb-10 12:58
cen_jin_long22-Feb-10 12:58 
GeneralNDK blocking or hanging Pin
rporath19-Jan-10 11:36
rporath19-Jan-10 11:36 
GeneralRe: NDK blocking or hanging Pin
ArchieCoder19-Jan-10 11:45
ArchieCoder19-Jan-10 11:45 
GeneralRe: NDK blocking or hanging Pin
maplewang21-Dec-11 2:22
maplewang21-Dec-11 2:22 
Generalclient message Pin
yuanzy9715-Jul-09 11:27
yuanzy9715-Jul-09 11:27 
GeneralRe: client message Pin
ArchieCoder15-Jul-09 17:36
ArchieCoder15-Jul-09 17:36 
General[Message Deleted] Pin
reddy0710-Jun-09 3:08
reddy0710-Jun-09 3:08 
GeneralRe: Searlization Pin
ArchieCoder10-Jun-09 15:30
ArchieCoder10-Jun-09 15:30 
GeneralReason of Crash: There is a logical problem with CNDKServerSocket::ReceiveMessage which will lead to the code being blocked. Pin
linzhehui1-Jun-09 7:21
linzhehui1-Jun-09 7:21 
GeneralRe: Reason of Crash: There is a logical problem with CNDKServerSocket::ReceiveMessage which will lead to the code being blocked. Pin
ArchieCoder2-Jun-09 3:31
ArchieCoder2-Jun-09 3:31 
GeneralRe: Reason of Crash: There is a logical problem with CNDKServerSocket::ReceiveMessage which will lead to the code being blocked. Pin
linzhehui2-Jun-09 6:09
linzhehui2-Jun-09 6:09 
GeneralRe: Reason of Crash: There is a logical problem with CNDKServerSocket::ReceiveMessage which will lead to the code being blocked. Pin
maplewang18-Dec-11 20:06
maplewang18-Dec-11 20:06 
GeneralRe: Reason of Crash: There is a logical problem with CNDKServerSocket::ReceiveMessage which will lead to the code being blocked. Pin
ArchieCoder19-Dec-11 3:08
ArchieCoder19-Dec-11 3:08 
QuestionSSL with NDK Pin
Nacereddine23-May-09 0:17
professionalNacereddine23-May-09 0:17 
AnswerRe: SSL with NDK Pin
ArchieCoder23-May-09 4:26
ArchieCoder23-May-09 4:26 

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