Book Image

Learning Network Programming with Java

Book Image

Learning Network Programming with Java

Overview of this book

Network-aware applications are becoming more prevalent and play an ever-increasing role in the world today. Connecting and using an Internet-based service is a frequent requirement for many applications. Java provides numerous classes that have evolved over the years to meet evolving network needs. These range from low-level socket and IP-based approaches to those encapsulated in software services. This book explores how Java supports networks, starting with the basics and then advancing to more complex topics. An overview of each relevant network technology is presented followed by detailed examples of how to use Java to support these technologies. We start with the basics of networking and then explore how Java supports the development of client/server and peer-to-peer applications. The NIO packages are examined as well as multitasking and how network applications can address practical issues such as security. A discussion on networking concepts will put many network issues into perspective and let you focus on the appropriate technology for the problem at hand. The examples used will provide a good starting point to develop similar capabilities for many of your network needs
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
Learning Network Programming with Java
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Summary


In this chapter, we explored many of the factors that impact network interoperability. At a low-level, the byte order becomes important. We learned that systems either use a big endian or a little endian byte order. The order can be determined and controlled by Java applications. Network communication normally uses big endian when transferring data.

If we need to communicate with other languages, we found that JVM-based languages are easier to work with because they share the same byte code base. If we need to work with other languages, then JNI is commonly used.

A socket is not a Java-unique concept. It normally is used in a TCP/IP environment, which implies that a socket that is written in one language can easily communicate with a socket that is written in a different language. We demonstrated this ability using a Java server and a C# client.

We also explored how middleware can support interoperability by abstracting much of the low-level communication detail. Using concepts, such...