Networking in Java
Client/Server Computing
◼ Communication over the network often
occurs between a client and a server
◼ A client connects to a server and then sends
and receives messages
◼ A server waits for connection requests from
clients, accepts them, and then responds to
their messages
◼ TCP/IP: abstract layer that simplifies the
above activities
Networking I
Slide 2
Hosts, Ports, and Sockets
◼ Host – a computer uniquely identified by hostname
and/or IP Address
◼ hostname: a String name (e.g., [Link])
◼ IP address: a set of 4 bytes (e.g., [Link])
◼ Type ipconfig or winipcfg to check your address
◼ Port – a number that specifies the type of connection you
want to make
◼ e.g., port 80 is for HTTP (web protocol),
port 23 is for Telnet (logging in to a UNIX account), etc.
◼ each server can listen to many ports
◼ each port can accommodate many clients
◼ Socket – object that encapsulates the communication
process
◼ hides the details of how things work Networking I
Slide 3
Networking in Java
◼ [Link] package
◼ import [Link].*;
◼ Most important classes
◼ Socket
◼ ServerSocket
◼ URL (discussed earlier)
◼ InetAddress
Networking I
Slide 4
The Socket class
◼ Constructor takes the host and port that the client wants
to connect to
◼ Useful Socket methods
◼ InputStream getInputStream()
◼ OutputStream getOutputStream()
◼ Given these Streams, you can send/receive data
◼ Writing to OutputStream sends the data to the other host
◼ To read the data, the other host must read from the InputStream
◼ You can/should chain other “filter” streams to these before using
them – just like you did for files (e.g., you can use BufferedReader,
etc.)
◼ You can use Serialization too! (Useful for your projects!)
Networking I
Slide 5
The ServerSocket class
◼ Misnomer
◼ it is-NOT-a Socket
◼ doesn’t extend Socket, and doesn’t have the same methods
◼ actually, it creates sockets, in response to a client connection
◼ maybe better called “ConnectionListener” or “SocketServer”
◼ Constructor takes port number that the server wishes to
listen to
◼ Call the accept() method to accept a client
◼ Thread that calls accept() blocks (waits or “sleeps”) until a client
connects
◼ Thread continues after client connects. The accept() method then
returns a Socket object connected to the client
Networking I
Slide 6
On the Server Program ...
◼ Create a ServerSocket object
◼ specify port
◼ Invoke accept() on that object
◼ Obtain Socket object
◼ returned by accept()
◼ Obtain I/O streams from the socket
◼ carry out communication using these streams
Networking I
Slide 7
On the Client Program ...
◼ Create Socket object
◼ specify host and port of server
◼ Obtain I/O streams from the socket
◼ carry out communication using these streams
* execute the server before the client
Networking I
Slide 8
A Simple Example myserver
ss
“Hello” out Socket connection in “Hello”
“Hi” in port out “Hi”
established
s 8888 s
// create ServerSocket, specify port
// Try to connect to server and port ServerSocket ss = new ServerSocket( 8888 );
// client thread waits here
// until server accepts // server thread waits here for client
Socket s = new Socket( “myserver”, 8888 ); Socket s = [Link]();
// get streams to allow us to read // get streams to allow us to read
// and write to client // and write to client
Scanner in = new Scanner( Scanner in = new Scanner(
new InputStreamReader( [Link]() ) new InputStreamReader( [Link]() )
); );
PrintStream out = new PrintStream( PrintStream out = new PrintStream(
[Link]() ); [Link]() );
// read and write to server // read and write to client
[Link]( “Hello” ); String t = [Link]();
[Link](); [Link]( t );
String t = [Link](); [Link]( “Hi” );
[Link]( t ); [Link]();
Networking I
Slide 9
Exercise ...
◼ Look at the Sample Code
◼ Run it with your partner on 2 machines
◼ Note: if you only have 1 machine, you can still test
your program as follows:
◼ open 2 DOS windows
◼ run the server in one window
◼ in the 2nd window, run the client and connect to either
“localhost” or “[Link]”
◼ this will make the machine connect to itself
◼ Do the ServerChat and ClientChat Exercise Networking I
Slide 10
A Simple Example myserver
ss
“Hello” out Socket connection in “Hello”
“Hi” in port out “Hi”
established
s 8888 s
// create ServerSocket, specify port
// Try to connect to server and port ServerSocket ss = new ServerSocket( 8888 );
// client thread waits here
// until server accepts // server thread waits here for client
Socket s = new Socket( “myserver”, 8888 ); Socket s = [Link]();
// get streams to allow us to read // get streams to allow us to read
// and write to client // and write to client
Scanner in = new Scanner( Scanner in = new Scanner(
new InputStreamReader( [Link]() ) new InputStreamReader( [Link]() )
); );
PrintStream out = new PrintStream( PrintStream out = new PrintStream(
[Link]() ); [Link]() );
// read and write to server // read and write to client
[Link]( “Hello” ); String t = [Link]();
[Link](); [Link]( t );
String t = [Link](); [Link]( “Hi” );
[Link]( t ); [Link]();
Networking I
Slide 11
A Simple Example…
◼ The previous slide demonstrates a very
simple way of making a client and server
program send and receive data once.
◼ What happens if you create a GUI for one
of these programs?
◼ Also, how do you make the client and
server simultaneously send and receive
data? Handle multiple connections?
Networking I
Slide 12
Handling Multiple Connections
◼ Use Threads
◼ Main Thread
◼ Have a loop that continuously calls accept()
◼ Create and start a new “connection thread” whenever
accept() returns a socket
◼ Connection Thread
◼ Thread for talking with 1 client (only)
◼ read, write client via socket’s input and output streams
◼ may have a loop, reading “requests” from client and
responding
Networking I
Slide 13
Multiple Clients while ( true )
{
myserver
ss Socket s = [Link]();
main CThread ct = new CThread( s );
connection thread
[Link]();
port }
thread connection
8888
public void run()
{
connection thread
// get input streams thread Notes:
// read/write client
◼ main thread just
}
// loop
s s accepts
s ◼ create and start 1
new thread per
client
client
client
client
s
s
s
Networking I
Slide 14
