Prague College Library: UNIX Network Programming, Volume 2: Interprocess Communications, Second Edition
 
Title:      UNIX Network Programming, Volume 2: Interprocess Communications, Second Edition
Categories:      Computing
BookID:      CO-HND-0021
Authors:      W. Richard Stevens
ISBN-10(13):      9780130810816
Publisher:      Prentice Hall
Publication date:      1998-09-04
Edition:      2nd
Number of pages:      592
Language:      English
Rating:      0 
Picture:      cover
Description:      Product Description
Well-implemented interprocess communications (IPC) are key to the performance of virtually every non-trivial UNIX program. In UNIX Network Programming, Volume 2, Second Edition, legendary UNIX expert W. Richard Stevens presents a comprehensive guide to every form of IPC, including message passing, synchronization, shared memory, and Remote Procedure Calls (RPC). Stevens begins with a basic introduction to IPC and the problems it is intended to solve. Step-by-step you'll learn how to maximize both System V IPC and the new Posix standards, which offer dramatic improvements in convenience and performance.
Amazon.com Review
The first volume of Unix Network Programming, Networking APIs: Sockets and XTI covers just about everything you need to know to get your applications to talk to other computers on a network. In this second volume, W. Richard Stevens discusses what you need to know to get your applications to talk to other applications running on your computer. There's a big difference, and Stevens covers it well.

Stevens introduces the reader to the internal structures of Posix interprocess communication (IPC) and System V (SysV) IPC; pipes and first in, first outs (FIFOs); message queues; how to lock and unlock files and records; semaphores; shared memory; and remote procedure calls (RPCs). He explains the difference between the Posix and SysV implementations of semaphores, message queues, and shared memory. There are also plenty of notes and examples for the reader.

This book is invaluable for programmers because it explains all of those little "gotchas" that always seem to pop up. In addition, the explanations of the differences between Posix IPC and SysV IPC really help readers decide which version they'd like to use for their applications. --Doug Beaver