Public Member Functions
	chatserver (int port, bool automatic_server_discovery)
int	create_tcp_server_socket ()
void *	print_stats_counters_thread (void *refresh_rate)
void	handle_incoming_connections (int server_socket)
void *	handle_client_connection_thread (void *thread_parameter)
msg_type_t	get_message_type (char *buffer, size_t buf_len)
int	send_to_client_online_users (connection_t *client_connection)
bool	handle_login_message (connection_t client_connection, char buffer, size_t buf_len)
bool	handle_logout_message (connection_t *client_connection)
int	handle_text_message (connection_t client_connection, char buffer, size_t buf_len)
int	send_back_error_message (connection_t client_connection, msg_type_t error_type, char msg_content, size_t msg_content_len)
void *	broadcast_invitation_tread (void *broadcast_params)

Constructor & Destructor Documentation

chatserver::chatserver	(	int	port,
		bool	automatic_server_discovery
	)

The constructor of the class chatserver.

Parameters:

port	the port number on which the server will listen for TCP connections
automatic_server_discovery	true if the automatic server discovery is enabled, false otherwise.

Member Function Documentation

void* chatserver::broadcast_invitation_tread ( void * broadcast_params )

Thead that performs the broadcast for the automatic server discovery.

Parameters:

[in] broadcast_params all the necessary parameters for the automatic server discovery.

int chatserver::create_tcp_server_socket ( )

This function creates a server socket that listens at a specific port and is binded to all available network interfaces of the host.

Returns:: the socket descriptor or -1 if something went wrong. If something failed, a descriptive error message should be printed by using perror() inside this function.

msg_type_t chatserver::get_message_type	(	char *	buffer,
		size_t	buf_len
	)

Function that finds the type of the received message.

Parameters:

[in]	buffer	The buffer containing the data received from the client.
[in]	buf_len	The length of the buffer.

Returns:: the message type. If the type could NOT be found UKNOWN_MSG_TYPE should be returned.

void* chatserver::handle_client_connection_thread ( void * thread_parameter )

This function runs on a new thread that has been created by they handle_incoming_connections() function, and is responsible for sending and receiving message from the connected client.

If your are curious why the parameter is void *, go to the thread Lab and study it AGAIN carefully.

The thread terminates, when the server is killed by the user.

Parameters:

[in] thread_parameter A struct that contains all the appropriate info for the client thread. Use the client_thread_params_t struct that has been casted to void *, as we said at the LAB.

void chatserver::handle_incoming_connections ( int server_socket )

This function runs until the user kills the server and waits for incoming connections. When accept() returns a new connection, adds it at the d_connections_list and pass the node (that contains all the necessary that you need) at a new thread that handles the client. The pthread_create() takes as arguement the function handle_client_thread(void *connection_info)

Parameters:

[in] server_socket a valid server socket discriptor

bool chatserver::handle_login_message	(	connection_t *	client_connection,
		char *	buffer,
		size_t	buf_len
	)

When a login message received, try to login the user. In any case of error this function sends back to the client the appropriate error message. Also if the user succesfully logged in set the username, at the appropriate field of the client_connection node.

Parameters:

[in]	client_connection	the node of the connections_list, that corresponds to the current client.
[in]	buffer	the data as they received from the client
[in]	buf_len	the length of the buffer

Returns:: TRUE if the user succesfully logged in FALSE otherwise.

bool chatserver::handle_logout_message ( connection_t * client_connection )

When a logout message received, logout the client by deleting the node at the connections_list list and closing the established connection.

Parameters:

[in] client_connection the node of the connections_list, that corresponds to the current client.

Returns:: TRUE if the user succesfully logged out, FALSE otherwise.

int chatserver::handle_text_message	(	connection_t *	client_connection,
		char *	buffer,
		size_t	buf_len
	)

Function responsible for propagating a message received from a client, to the right receiver that must be connected and logged in.

Parameters:

[in]	client_connection	the node of the connections_list, that corresponds to the current client.
[in]	buffer	the data as they received from the client
[in]	buf_len	the length of the buffer

Returns:: the number of bytes sent, or -1 in case of error. Note that in case of error, this function should send back an error message to the client.

void* chatserver::print_stats_counters_thread ( void * refresh_rate )

This function runs on a seperate thread and prints every refresh_rate seconds the values of the three counters of the server.

If your are curious why the parameter is void *, go to the thread Lab and study it AGAIN carefully.

Parameters:

[in] refresh_rate The interval in seconds between two prints of the counters

int chatserver::send_back_error_message	(	connection_t *	client_connection,
		msg_type_t	error_type,
		char *	msg_content,
		size_t	msg_content_len
	)

General function that sends back to the client, a specified error message.

Parameters:

[in]	error_type	the message type that describes the desired error.
[in]	msg_content	the contents of the error message. This can be a discriptive human readable text.
[in]	msg_content_len	the length in bytes, of the msg_content

Returns:: the number of bytes sent, or -1 in case of error.

int chatserver::send_to_client_online_users ( connection_t * client_connection )

Function that sends back to the client a list with all the online users.

Parameters:

[in] client_connection the node of the connections_list, that corresponds to the current client.

Returns:: The total number of bytes that were sent, or -1 in case of error.

The documentation for this class was generated from the following file:

chatserver.h

Public Member Functions

Constructor & Destructor Documentation

Member Function Documentation