I am using named pipe in windows and confused about the difference between FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED
and PIPE_NOWAIT
which are parameters set in CreateNamedPipe
,I set parameters like this.
HANDLE hPipe = CreateNamedPipe(
lpszPipename, // pipe name
PIPE_ACCESS_DUPLEX | // read/write access
FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED, // overlapped mode
PIPE_TYPE_MESSAGE | // message-type pipe
PIPE_READMODE_MESSAGE | // message read mode
PIPE_WAIT, // blocking mode
PIPE_UNLIMITED_INSTANCES, // unlimited instances
BUFSIZE * sizeof(TCHAR), // output buffer size
BUFSIZE * sizeof(TCHAR), // input buffer size
PIPE_TIMEOUT, // client time-out
NULL); // default security attributes
the ConnectNamedPipe
return immediately and I get ERROR_IO_PENDING
from GetLastError
.With a nonblocking-wait handle, the connect operation returns zero immediately, and the GetLastError function returns ERROR_IO_PENDING
.However the MSDN tells:
With a nonblocking-wait handle, the connect operation returns zero immediately, and the GetLastError function returns ERROR_PIPE_LISTENING.
so, what does nonblocking-wait
mean, PIPE_NOWAIT
or FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED
, thanks a lot!
PIPE_NOWAIT
mean that Nonblocking mode is enabled on handle. In this mode, ReadFile
, WriteFile
, and ConnectNamedPipe
always completed immediately.
the FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED
mean asynchronous mode is enabled on handle. If this mode is enabled, all not synchronous io [1] operations always return immediately.
so FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED
vs PIPE_NOWAIT
- this is return immediately vs completed immediately.
completed immediately (which include return immediately ) mean that io operation is already completed when api return. but visa versa not true. if operation return immediately this not mean that operation is completed already. if operation still not completed ntapi return code STATUS_PENDING
. win32 api in such situations usual set last error to ERROR_IO_PENDING
.
exist 3 way determinate when io operation completed in case asynchronous handle mode.
- bind handle to IOCP (via
CreateIoCompletionPort
or
BindIoCompletionCallback
or CreateThreadpoolIo
). as result when
io complete - pointer to OVERLAPPED
which we pass to io call -
will be queued back to IOCP (in case BindIoCompletionCallback
or
CreateThreadpoolIo
system yourself create IOCP and listen on it
and call our registered callback, when pointer to OVERLAPPED
will
be queued to IOCP)
- some win32 api such
ReadFileEx
or WriteFileEx
and all ntapi let
specify APC completion routine which will be called in context of
thread, which begin io operation, when io operation is completed.
thread must do alertable wait in this case. this wait is not
compatible with bind handle to IOCP (we can not use APC routine in
api call if file handle binded to IOCP - system return invalid
parameter error)
- we can create event and pass it to api call (via
OVERLAPPED::hEvent
) - in this case this event will be reset by
system when io operation begin and set to signaled state when io
operation is completed. unlike first 2 option in this case we have
no additional context (in face pointer to OVERLAPPED
) when io
operation is completed. usually this is worst option.
[1] exist some io operations which is always synchronous api. for example GetFileInformationByHandleEx
, SetFileInformationByHandle
. but almost io operations is not synchronous io. all this io operations take pointer to OVERLAPPED
as parameter. so if no pointer to OVERLAPPED
in api signature - this is synchronous api call. if exist - usually asynchronous (exception CancelIoEx
for example where pointer to overlapped is related not to current operation but to previous io operation which we want cancel). in particular ReadFile
, WriteFile
, DeviceIoControl
, ConnectNamedPipe
( internally this is call DeviceIoControl
with FSCTL_PIPE_LISTEN
) ) is not synchronous io api