Introduction

Welcome to IPWorks IPC, a powerful developer suite for adding inter-process communications (IPC) to applications via Named Pipes. Standard Named Pipe interfaces allow one-way or duplex client/server communication. Included in the library are client, server, and remote execution components for straightforward peer-to-peer communications between related or unrelated processes.

Included Libraries

The .NET Edition includes several libraries (.dll files) which are supported in different environments. The following libraries are present in the lib directory after installation:

  • lib\nsoftware.IPWorksIPC.dll is designed for use in .NET Framework 4.0 and up, .NET Core 3.0 and up, and .NET 5 and up. This is the default library which maintains a familiar API in line with previous versions of the product.

    Support for asynchronous programming patterns (async/await) is exposed in a separate nsoftware.async.IPWorksIPC namespace. See the Async Functionality page for details.

  • lib\net6.0\nsoftware.IPWorksIPC.dll is designed for use in .NET 6 and up. The .NET 6 library provides cross-platform support while maintaining the same API as the default library in lib.

  • lib\netstandard2.0\nsoftware.IPWorksIPC.dll is designed for use in .NET Standard 2.0 and up. The .NET Standard library provides cross-platform support for legacy projects.

  • lib\net20\nsoftware.IPWorksIPC.dll is designed for use in .NET Framework 2.0 and up. This library targets .NET Framework 2.0 and is maintained for legacy projects.

Included Components

PipeClientThe PipeClient component is a simple client for connecting and communicating over named pipes.
PipeExecPipeExec provides an easy way to start and interact with a process over Stdin, Stdout, and Stderr.
PipeServerThe PipeServer component is a lightweight server component based on an asynchronous, event-driven architecture. It is designed to balance the load between connections for a fast, powerful server.

Additional Information

You will always find the latest information about IPWorks IPC at our web site: www.nsoftware.com. We offer free, fully-functional 30-day trials for all of our products, and our technical support staff are happy to answer any questions you may have during your evaluation.

Please direct all technical questions to support@nsoftware.com. To help support technicians assist you as quickly as possible, please provide an detailed and accurate description of your problem, the results you expected, and the results that you received while using our product. For questions about licensing and pricing, and all other general inquiries, please contact sales@nsoftware.com.

Thank You!

Thank you for choosing IPWorks IPC for your development needs. We realize that you have a choice among development tools, and that by choosing us you are counting on us to be a key component in your business. We work around the clock to provide you with ongoing enhancements, support, and innovative products; and we will always do our best to exceed your expectations!