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This recipe wraps socketpair() to provide a standard socket pair on POSIX systems or a pair of connected sockets using ephemeral ports on Windows.

Python, 30 lines
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from socket import *
import threading

try:
    pairfamily = AF_UNIX
except NameError:
    pairfamily = AF_INET

def SocketPair(family=pairfamily, type_=SOCK_STREAM, proto=IPPROTO_IP):
    """Wraps socketpair() to support Windows using local ephemeral ports"""
    try:
        sock1, sock2 = socketpair(family, type_, proto)
        return (sock1, sock2)
    except NameError:
        listensock = socket(family, type_, proto)
        listensock.setsockopt(SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, 1)
        listensock.bind( ('localhost', 0) )
        iface, ephport = listensock.getsockname()
        listensock.listen(1)

        sock1 = socket(family, type_, proto)
        connthread = threading.Thread(target=pairConnect, args=[sock1, ephport])
        connthread.setDaemon(1)
        connthread.start()
        sock2, sock2addr = listensock.accept()
        listensock.close()
        return (sock1, sock2)

def pairConnect(sock, port):
    sock.connect( ('localhost', port) )

During the development of a recent project, the need arose to handle threads and IPC in a manner that is supported under both POSIX and Windows. Since the threads were part of a network server, the solution presented itself in the form of select.select() and socket pairs. The threads could block in select() while waiting for events from the client socket or notification, via the socket pair, from other threads. However, windows doesn't support socket.socketpair() or AF_UNIX sockets, so I wrote this wrapper.

4 comments

James Burgess 14 years, 5 months ago  # | flag

What is the purpose of the thread?

kurt rose 10 years, 9 months ago  # | flag

since fork() isn't available on windows, socketpair is pointless

(you can just use queue.Queue to communicate among threads within the same process; among many methods)

Vitaly Kruglikov 8 years, 11 months ago  # | flag

Shouldn't the thread be joined before returning in order to avoid a leak? I remember that it was an issue with threads in the C language on some platforms.

Vitaly Kruglikov 8 years, 11 months ago  # | flag

Regarding above, for example: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-memory-leaks/ "One common mistake is forgetting to join joinable threads, which can create memory leaks and cause extra work. "