What are the Best IPC Mechanisms in C# and When Should You Use Them?

Inter-Process Communication (IPC) mechanism in C#

Inter-process communication (IPC) enables programs to share data and resources across process boundaries. In C#, there are several mechanisms available for IPC, including named pipes, memory-mapped files, sockets, and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF).

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)

WCF is a modern IPC framework from Microsoft that simplifies the development of distributed applications. It offers a wide range of features including:

• Contract-based programming model
• Multiple binding protocols (e.g., TCP, HTTP, Named Pipes)
• Service hosting and discovery
• Security and message encryption

Choose the appropriate IPC mechanism

The choice of IPC mechanism depends on the specific requirements of the application:

• Communication Speed: Pipes and memory mapped files provide high speed communication.
• Concurrency: Named pipes and WCF support multi-threading and asynchronous communication.
• Security: WCF provides built-in security features such as message encryption and authentication.
• Interoperability: WCF supports communication across different platforms and environments.

More resources:

• Dr. Dobb's portal article on using WCF for inter-process communication
• WCF Communication Options in .NET Framework 3.5
• Documentation about WCF on MSDN: https://www.php.cn/link/c821676842228981f9b9618632b27274

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