Client/Server/Database Solution

[taurus905]

I am looking for a simple solution to accomplish the following:

Client application – located on various PCs. (AutoIt Exe)

Server application – located on Internet server. (AutoIt Exe or C# Exe)

Database – located on same Internet server. (MS SQL)

Client application sends a string to Server application.

Server application reads Database, makes calculations and then writes to Database.

Server application sends string to Client application.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

taurus905

[jchd]

ODBC or ADO will do nicely.

ADO

ODBC

[taurus905]

ODBC or ADO will do nicely.

ADO

ODBC

Hello jchd,

Thank you for the links.

I read lots of posts on TCP and feel this might be the way to go. But I think I will start off without a database to simplify matters a bit.

So is the following possible and would I need to use TCP or is there a better option?

Internet server has an AutoIt Exe named Server.exe

My PC has an AutoIt Exe named Client.exe

How can Client.exe send a string to Server.exe, do some calculations and return another string?

Thank you to anyone who can help me understand what I need to do.

taurus905

[jchd]

I read lots of posts on TCP and feel this might be the way to go. But I think I will start off without a database to simplify matters a bit.

So is the following possible and would I need to use TCP or is there a better option?

Internet server has an AutoIt Exe named Server.exe

My PC has an AutoIt Exe named Client.exe

How can Client.exe send a string to Server.exe, do some calculations and return another string?

Thank you to anyone who can help me understand what I need to do.

taurus905

It really depends on what the "calculations" part is and wether or not there will be only one client or several.

The whole point of a [R]DBMS ([relational] database management system) is to hide the gory details of records storage and organization (indexing and the like), details about locking protocols so that several users can use the database pseudo-simultaneously and eventually offer the applications a high-level language --SQL is proeminent-- to filter, sort, merge... data on demand without big hassle. Applications range from lightweight mobile (mobile phones, PDA, ...) to datacenters (Google, Amazon, ...). Probably the most deployed RDBMS found in the whole range is SQLite which is very efficient, free, zero-administration and open-source. AutoIt has support for it in its standard release. If you are in a peer-to-peer situation (only one client and one server) then it may be the right choice if the server has something to store, retrieve on demand using simple or more complex criterions.

ODBC or its newer layer (ADO) is a standardized high-level interface which makes easier to switch from one database to another by offering a uniform SQL syntax (there are small to large "dialect" variations among various rDBMS vendors). This is an oversimplification.

OTOH, a simple network link is another beast. You have TCP connection example eveywhere in the forum (use search) or named-pipes connection example in standard AutoIt: look in the help file and in the \Program Files\AutoIt3\Examples\GUI\Advanced directory. This approach is of course more pedestrian and you're on your own to determine what and how data should be sent/received, monitor the various error conditions and the like. Also don't expect any form of advanced storage to be bundled with what is only a simple communication link.

Comparing TCP and a DBMS is a bit like comparing a modem and a web browser. If your need is simple then TCP/modem (bare bones communication link) with some home brew convention (protocol) can be just fine. If you need something significantly less basic, then something more advanced will save your life.

[taurus905]

I have spent many hours today reading TCP posts on the forum which pertain to my simple request of Client.exe to send a string across the Internet to Server.exe and then returning another string back to Client.exe but have not found what I need yet.

Many of the examples are old and the scripts are no longer valid. But I am not looking for someone to do my scripting. I only need to be pointed to the right commands to use.

I don’t plan on tackling the database part of my solution until I solve the communication issue between the client/server applications.

I will keep searching and look forward to any other suggestions.

Thank you for your time.

taurus905

[Hawkwing]

Try this out

Server code

TCPStartup()
$socket = TCPListen(@IPAddress1, 1111)

While 1
    $ConnectedSocket = TCPAccept($socket)
    If $ConnectedSocket >= 0 Then
        ConsoleWrite("Connected" & @CRLF)
        ExitLoop
    EndIf
WEnd

While 1
    $data = TCPRecv($ConnectedSocket, 10000)
    If $data <> "" Then ConsoleWrite($data & @CRLF)
    If $data = "Exit" Then
        TCPShutdown()
        Exit
    EndIf
WEnd

Client code

#include<guiconstants.au3>
#include<guiipaddress.au3>

Opt("guioneventmode", 1)

$gui = GUICreate("Test", 125, 40)
GUISetOnEvent($GUI_EVENT_CLOSE, "close")
$ipbox = _GUICtrlIpAddress_Create($gui, 0, 0)
_GUICtrlIpAddress_Set($ipbox, "0.0.0.0")
$button = GUICtrlCreateButton("Go", 0, 25, 125, 15)
GUICtrlSetOnEvent(-1, "go")
GUISetState()

TCPStartup()

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func go()
    $socket = TCPConnect(_GUICtrlIpAddress_Get($ipbox), 1111)
    GUIDelete($gui)
    While 1
        TCPSend($socket, InputBox("", ""))
    WEnd
EndFunc

Func close()
    Exit
EndFunc

Edited February 12, 2010 by Hawkwing

[taurus905]

Hello Hawkwing,

Thank you for the examples.

I was able to get them working.

I finally have something to build on.

taurus905

[taurus905]

After spending all day researching TCP/IP, I have one simple question:

Is it possible for a client and a server to both send and receive?

If so, please provide a few keywords which I can search for online.

Thank you,

taurus905

[yucatan]

After spending all day researching TCP/IP, I have one simple question:

Is it possible for a client and a server to both send and receive?

If so, please provide a few keywords which I can search for online.

Thank you,

taurus905

yes is possible

that client and server both send and recieve.

[taurus905]

Thank you for your reply, yucatan.

It took me all night and about every TCP script on this forum, plus digging for information on the Internet to figure that out. I read the opposite somewhere, but am so glad that is not true. Now I need to do lots of testing to get it to do what I need. But first, I am going to eat and get some sleep. This was like pulling teeth.

taurus905

[taurus905]

As it turns out, TCP was not the solution I was looking for. But I thought I would post these examples because there are so many unanswered TCP questions in this forum. I believe IIS will be what I need since my website is hosted by GoDaddy and I don't have a dedicated IP.

TCP Server:

#include "TCP.au3"
Opt("MustDeclareVars", 1)

Dim $hServer = _TCP_Server_Create(56453, @IPAddress1) ; Create Server Socket
ToolTip("SERVER is Running.", 10, 20)

_TCP_RegisterEvent($hServer, $TCP_NEWCLIENT, "NEWCLIENT") ; Called when new client connects.

_TCP_RegisterEvent($hServer, $TCP_RECEIVE, "Received") ; Called when data is received.

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd
Exit

Func NEWCLIENT($hSocket, $iError) ; New Client connected to server.
    Sleep(5000) ; Time to do calculations.
    _TCP_Send($hSocket, "Server sent reply.")
EndFunc ; ==> NEWCLIENT

Func Received($hSocket, $sReceived, $iError) ; Called when data is received.
    ToolTip("SERVER: " & $sReceived, 10, 50)
EndFunc ; ==> Received

TCP Client:

expandcollapse popup

#include "TCP.au3"
Opt("MustDeclareVars", 1)

HotKeySet("{ESC}", "Exit_Program")
HotKeySet("{F2}", "Send_Data")

Dim $hClient = _TCP_Client_Create(@IPAddress1, 56453) ; Create Client Socket

_TCP_RegisterEvent($hClient, $TCP_CONNECT, "Connected") ; Called when client is connected.

_TCP_RegisterEvent($hClient, $TCP_RECEIVE, "Received") ; Called when data is received.

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd
Exit

Func Connected($hSocket, $iError) ; Called when client connects.
    Switch $iError
        Case True
            ToolTip("CLIENT: Could not connect. Check if server is running.", 200, 50)
        Case Else
            ToolTip("CLIENT is Connected.", 200, 20)
            _TCP_Send($hSocket, "Client sent data")
    EndSwitch
EndFunc ; Connected

Func Received($hSocket, $sReceived, $iError) ; Called when data is received.
    ToolTip("CLIENT: " & $sReceived, 200, 50)
EndFunc ; ==> Received

Func Send_Data() ; Send Data
    _TCP_Send($hClient, "Client input refreshed.")
EndFunc ; ==> Send_Data

Func Exit_Program() ; Exit Program
    _TCP_Server_DisconnectClient($hClient)
    Exit
EndFunc ; ==> Exit

Download the TCP.au3 include file from here:

TCP UDF, Event driven! Version 3

TCP UDF, Event driven! Version 3 was written by Kip and he did a great job.

taurus905