Two-way Remoting with Callbacks and Events, Explained

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Runtime.Remoting;
using System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels;
using System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Http;
using System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp;
using System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Ipc;
using System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Binary;
using System.Threading;

namespace RemotingServerClient
{
    public partial class fServer : Form
    {
        public fServer()
        {
            InitializeComponent();

            // Register a server channel on the Server where we 
            // will listen for clients who wish to communicate
            RegisterChannel();

            // Register callbacks to the static properties on the ServerTalk object
            ServerTalk.NewUser = new delUserInfo(NewUser);
            ServerTalk.ClientToHost = new delCommsInfo(ClientToHost);

            Thread t = new Thread(new ThreadStart(CheckClientToServerQueue));
            t.Start();
        }

        // The method that will be called when a new User registers.
        private void NewUser(string UserID)
        {
            // since it originated from a different thread we need to marshal this back to the current UI thread.
            if (this.cboUsers.InvokeRequired)
                this.cboUsers.Invoke(new delUserInfo(NewUser), new object[] { UserID });
            else
            {
                this.cboUsers.Items.Add(UserID);
                this.cboUsers.Text = UserID;    // select the last added user
            }
        }

        // A loop invoked by a worker-thread which will monitor the static tread-safe ClientToServer 
        // Queue on the ServerTalk class and passes on any CommsInfo objects that are placed here.
        // If the variable _FormClosing turns true (when the form closes) it will stop the loop and
        // subsequently the life of the worker-thread.
        private bool _FormClosing = false;
        private void CheckClientToServerQueue()
        {
            while (!_FormClosing)
            {
                Thread.Sleep(50);   // allow rest of the system to continue whilst waiting...
                if (ServerTalk.ClientToServerQueue.Count > 0)
                {
                    CommsInfo message = (CommsInfo)ServerTalk.ClientToServerQueue.Dequeue();
                    ClientToHost(message);
                }
            }
        }

        private void fServer_FormClosing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
        {
            _FormClosing = true;
        }

        // A helper method that will marshal a CommsInfo from the client to 
        // our UI thread.
        private void ClientToHost(CommsInfo Info)
        {
            // since it originated from a different thread we need to marshal this back to the current UI thread.
            if (this.txtFromClient.InvokeRequired)
                this.txtFromClient.Invoke(new delCommsInfo(ClientToHost), new object[] { Info });
            else
                this.txtFromClient.Text = "From client: " + Info.Message + Environment.NewLine + this.txtFromClient.Text;
        }

        private void RegisterChannel()
        {
            // Set the TypeFilterLevel to Full since callbacks require additional security 
            // requirements
            SoapServerFormatterSinkProvider serverFormatter = new SoapServerFormatterSinkProvider();
            serverFormatter.TypeFilterLevel = System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.TypeFilterLevel.Full;

            // we have to change the name since we can't have two channels with the same name.
            Hashtable ht = new Hashtable();
            ht["name"] = "ServerChannel";
            ht["port"] = 9000;

            // now create and register our custom HttpChannel 
            HttpChannel channel = new HttpChannel(ht, null, serverFormatter);
            ChannelServices.RegisterChannel(channel, false);

            // register a WKO type in Singleton mode
            string identifier = "TalkIsGood";
            WellKnownObjectMode mode = WellKnownObjectMode.Singleton;

            WellKnownServiceTypeEntry entry = new WellKnownServiceTypeEntry(typeof(ServerTalk),
                identifier, mode);
            RemotingConfiguration.RegisterWellKnownServiceType(entry);
        }

        private void btnSend_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (cboUsers.Items.Count == 0)
            {
                MessageBox.Show("No registered Users!", "No users");
                return;
            }

            string UserID = cboUsers.Text;
            if (chkAll.Checked) UserID = "*";
            ServerTalk.RaiseHostToClient(UserID, this.txtToClient.Text);

            this.txtFromClient.Text = "To client " + UserID + ": " + this.txtToClient.Text + Environment.NewLine + this.txtFromClient.Text;
        }

   }


}