RealLink

REALLINK is library for IPC(inter-process communication) bewteen remote clients

1. Features

  • Realtime communication between clients by Microsoft SignalR web service.
  • Can be passing arguments with serialized JSON object for remote clients.
  • Support asynchronous operation by async/await.
  • Support cross platform environment.
  • Can be monitored and logged communication messages into file.

2. Environment

Support various client runtime environments.

  • C# with .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher
  • C# with .NET8 or higher
  • C++ with v143 toolset and x64 only

3. Libraries

spirallab.reallink.server.exe

spirallab.reallink.client.dll

  • Library for .NET client
  • Runtime: Windows .NET8 or higher, .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher

spirallab.reallinkcpp.dll

  • Library for C++ client
  • Runtime: Windows C++ x64
  • Used Multi-byte character set and toolset as v143

4. How to use ?

Must be execute reallink server “spirallab.reallink.server.exe” program at first.

  • Optional arguments: “spirallab.reallink.server.exe” [hub name] [http port] [https port] [max buffer size] [max parallel invocations per client]
  • Default hub name: “reallink1”
  • Default http, https port: 5001, 5002
  • Default max. buffer size: 1048576 (= 1Mbytes)
  • Default parallel invocations per client: 10

For .NET clients

  • Add reference “spirallab.reallink.client.dll” file into project

For c++ clients

  • Include “include\reallinkcpplib.h” file into project
  • Config search file path at project for “spirallab.reallinkcpp.lib” or “spirallab.reallinkcppD.lib”
  • Copy all dll files at “bin\cpp\Debug” or “bin\cpp\Release” to your working directory

5. Examples

  • Demo ‘winforms app’ winforms client project by .NET framework and C#
  • Demo ‘wpf app’ wpf client project by .NET8 with WPF and C#
  • Demo ‘console app’ console client project by .NET framework and C#
  • Demo ‘cpp app’ console project by C++

6. Core Methods

    client        |       server       |     client
       'A'        |                    |        'B'
                  |                    |
                  |                    |
Invoke('B', __.   |                    |
    message,    \ |                    |
    object)      \|                    |
                  |----  "Send"  ----->|---> On("Receive")
                  |                    |     {
                  |                    |      ...
                  |                    |     }
                  .                    .         
                  .                    .
                  .                    .     
  Invoke('B', _   .                    . 
      message,  \ |                    |
      object)    \|                    |
                  |---- "Request" ---->|---> On("Response")
                  |                    |     { 
                  |                    |         return ...;
                .-|<-------------------|<--- }
               /  |                    |
  await...  __/   |                    |
                  |                    |

7. Server Hub APIs

// Server side:
public async Task<bool> Send(string userName, string message, object arg);
// Client side:
public Task Receive(string userName, string message, object arg);

// Server side:
public async Task<object> Request(string userName, string message, object arg);
// Client side:
public Task<object> Response(string userName, string message, object arg);

8. For .NET client

var client = new SpiralLab.RealLink.Client("http://localhost:5000", "hubname", "username");
client.On("Receive", 
    new[] { typeof(string), typeof(string), typeof(object) }, 
    (args, state) => 
    { 
        ... 
    });
client.On("Response", 
    new[] { typeof(string), typeof(string), typeof(object) }, 
    (args, state) => 
    { 
        ... 
    });
client.StartAsync();
...
var success = await client.InvokeAsync<bool>("Send", "username", "command", object);
var response = await client.InvokeAsync<TResult>("Request", "username", "command", object);

9. For C++ client

reallinkcpp::RealLinkClient* client = reallinkcpp::CreateRealLink("http://localhost:5000", "hubname", "username");
void __cdecl OnReceive(const std::vector<reallinkcpp::value>& v) 
{ 
    // m[0]: from (string)
    // m[1]: message (string)
    // m[2]: object (std::map)
    assert(m.size() == 3);
    std::string from = m[0].as_string();
    std::string message = m[1].as_string();
    if (message == "target message")
    {
        ...
    }
}
void __cdecl OnResponse(const std::vector<reallinkcpp::value>& m)
{
    // m[0]: from (string)
    // m[1]: message (string)
	// m[2]: object (std::map)
    // m[3]: transaction no (double)
    assert(m.size() == 3 + 1); //with transaction no
    std::string from = m[0].as_string();
    std::string message = m[1].as_string();
    double transactionNo = m[3].as_double();
    try
    {
        reallinkcpp::value v;
        ...
        client->Response(from.c_str(), v, transactionNo);
    }
    catch (const std::exception& e)
    {
        std::cerr << e.what() << std::endl;
    }
}
client->On("Receive", &OnReceive);
client->On("Response", &OnResponse);
client->Start();
...
bool success = client->Send("username", "command", reallinkcpp::value(arg));
reallinkcpp::value response = client->Request("username", "command", reallinkcpp::value(arg));

10. Copyrights

11. Version history

  • 2024.3.4 v1.2.100.0
    • server
      • added) default max. parallel invocations per client: 10
      • added) default send/request timeout: 5s
      • fixed) memory leak issue
    • c++ client
      • now support OnResponse callback
    • demos
      • added) target to ‘all’ at demo project
  • 2025.2.18 v1.1.80.0
    • fixed) server
      • change) server hub APIs
      • added) checking duplicated client name has connected
      • added) compare version info when client has connected
    • fixed) c++ client
      • removed) ${VCPKG} dependency to build c++ client
      • added) nlohmann json library for c++ client
  • 2025.2.5 v1.0.0.0
    • first commit
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