Ports

Declared in: be/kernel/OS.h

Library: libroot.so

A port is a system-wide message repository into which any thread can copy a buffer of data, and from which any thread can then retrieve the buffer. This repository is implemented as a first-in/first-out message queue: A port stores its messages in the order in which they're received, and it relinquishes them in the order in which they're stored. Each port has its own message queue.

Ports are largely subsumed by the Application Kit's BMessage class (and relatives). The two features of ports that you can't get at the BMessage level are:

• Ports let you set the length of the message queue.

• Ports can be used in C code (as opposed to C++).

For most applications, these are inessential additions.

For more information on ports, see "Port Concepts".

Port Functions

create_port()

	port_id create_port(int32 queue_length, const char *name)

Creates a new port and returns its port_id number. The port's name is set to name and the length of its message queue is set to queue_length. Neither the name nor the queue length can be changed once they're set. The name shouldn't exceed B_OS_NAME_LENGTH (32) characters.

In setting the length of a port's message queue, you're telling it how many messages it can hold at a time. When the queue is filled—when it's holding queue_length messages—subsequent invocations of write_port() (on that port) block until room is made in the queue (through calls to read_port()) for the additional messages. Once the queue length is set by create_port(), it can't be changed.

This function sets the owner of the port to be the team of the calling thread. Ownership can subsequently be transferred through the set_port_owner() function. When a port's owner dies (when all the threads in the team are dead), the port is automatically deleted. If you want to delete a port prior to its owner's death, use the delete_port() function.

RETURN CODES

• B_BAD_VALUE. queue_length is too big or less than zero.

• B_NO_MORE_PORTS. The system couldn't allocate another port.

close_port()

	status_t close_port(port_id port)

Closes the port so no more messages can be written to it. After you close a port, you can call read_port() on it, but a write_port() call will return B_BAD_PORT_ID. You can't reopen a closed port; you call this function so you can read through a port's unread messages prior to deleting the port, while ensuring that no new messages will show up. After you've read the messages, you should call delete_port() on port.

RETURN CODES

• B_OK. port is now closed.

• B_BAD_PORT_ID. port doesn't identify an open port.

delete_port()

	status_t delete_port(port_id port)

Deletes the given port. The port's message queue doesn't have to be empty—you can delete a port that's holding unread messages. Threads that are blocked in read_port() or write_port() calls on the port are automatically unblocked (and return B_BAD_SEM_ID).

The thread that calls delete_port() doesn't have to be a member of the team that owns the port; any thread can delete any port.

RETURN CODES

• B_OK. The port was deleted.

• B_BAD_PORT_ID. port isn't a valid port.

find_port()

	port_id find_port(const char *port_name)

Returns the port_id of the named port. port_name should be no longer than 32 characters (B_OS_NAME_LENGTH).

RETURN CODES

• B_NAME_NOT_FOUND. port_name doesn't name an existing port.

get_port_info() , get_next_port_info()

	status_t get_port_info(port_id port, port_info *info) status_t get_next_port_info(team_id team,       uint32 *cookie,       port_info *info)

Copies information about a particular port into the port_info structure designated by info. The first version of the function designates the port directly, by port_id.

The get_next_port_info() version lets you step through the list of a team's ports through iterated calls on the function. The team argument identifies the team you want to look at; a team value of 0 means the team of the calling thread. The cookie argument is a placemark; you set it to 0 on your first call, and let the function do the rest. The function returns B_BAD_VALUE when there are no more ports to visit:

   /* Get the port_info for every port in this team. */
   port_info info;
   int32 cookie = 0;
   
   while (get_next_port_info(0, &cookie, &info) == B_OK)
      ...

The information in the port_info structure is guaranteed to be internally consistent, but the structure as a whole should be consider to be out-of-date as soon as you receive it. It provides a picture of a port as it exists just before the info-retrieving function returns.

RETURN CODES

• B_OK. The port was found; info contains valid information.

• B_BAD_VALUE. port doesn't identify an existing port, team doesn't identify an existing team, or there are no more ports to visit.

port_buffer_size() , port_buffer_size_etc()

	ssize_t port_buffer_size(port_id port) ssize_t port_buffer_size_etc(port_id port,       uint32 flags,       bigtime_t timeout)

These functions return the length (in bytes) of the message buffer that's at the head of port's message queue. You call this function in order to allocate a sufficiently large buffer in which to retrieve the message data.

The port_buffer_size() function blocks if the port is currently empty. It unblocks when a write_port() call gives this function a buffer to measure (even if the buffer is 0 bytes long), or when the port is deleted.

The port_buffer_size_etc() function lets you set a limit on the amount of time the function will wait for a message to show up. To set the limit, you pass B_TIMEOUT as the flags argument, and set timeout to the amount of time, in microseconds, that you're willing to wait.

RETURN CODES

• B_BAD_PORT_ID. port doesn't identify an existing port, or the port was deleted while the function was blocked.

• B_TIMED_OUT. The timeout limit expired.

• B_WOULD_BLOCK. You asked for a timeout of 0, but there are no messages in the queue.

See also: read_port()

port_count()

	int32 port_count(port_id port)

Returns the number of messages that are currently in port's message queue. This is the number of messages that have been written to the port through calls to write_port() but that haven't yet been picked up through corresponding read_port() calls.

This function is provided mostly as a convenience and a semi-accurate debugging tool. The value that it returns is inherently undependable: There's no guarantee that additional read_port() or write_port() calls won't change the count as this function is returning.

RETURN CODES

• B_BAD_PORT_ID. port doesn't identify an existing port.

See also: get_port_info()

read_port() , read_port_etc()

	ssize_t read_port(port_id port,       int32 *msg_code,       void *msg_buffer,       size_t buffer_size) ssize_t read_port_etc(port_id port,       int32 *msg_code,       void *msg_buffer,       size_t buffer_size,       uint32 flags,       bigtime_t timeout)

These functions remove the message at the head of port's message queue and copy the messages's contents into the msg_code and msg_buffer arguments. The size of the msg_buffer buffer, in bytes, is given by buffer_size. It's up to the caller to ensure that the message buffer is large enough to accommodate the message that's being read. If you want a hint about the message's size, you should call port_buffer_size() before calling this function.

If port's message queue is empty when you call read_port(), the function will block. It returns when some other thread writes a message to the port through write_port(). A blocked read is also unblocked if the port is deleted.

The read_port_etc() function lets you set a limit on the amount of time the function will wait for a message to show up. To set the limit, you pass B_TIMEOUT as the flags argument, and set timeout to the amount of time, in microseconds, that you're willing to wait.

RETURN CODES

A successful call returns the number of bytes that were written into the msg_buffer argument.

• B_BAD_PORT_ID. port doesn't identify an existing port, or the port was deleted while the function was blocked.

• B_TIMED_OUT. The timeout limit expired.

• B_WOULD_BLOCK. You asked for a timeout of 0, but there are no messages in the queue.

See also: write_port(), port_buffer_size()

set_port_owner()

	status_t set_port_owner(port_id port, team_id team)

Transfers ownership of the designated port to team. A port can only be owned by one team at a time; by setting a port's owner, you remove it from its current owner.

There are no restrictions on who can own a port, or on who can transfer ownership. In other words, the thread that calls set_port_owner() needn't be part of the team that currently owns the port, nor must you only assign ports to the team that owns the calling thread (although these two are the most likely scenarios).

Port ownership is meaningful for one reason: When a team dies (when all its threads are dead), the ports that are owned by that team are freed. Ownership, otherwise, has no significance—it carries no special privileges or obligations.

To discover a port's owner, use the get_port_info() function.

RETURN CODES

• B_OK. Ownership was successfully transferred.

• B_BAD_PORT_ID. port doesn't identify a valid port.

• B_BAD_TEAM_ID. team doesn't identify a valid team.

See also: get_port_info()

write_port() , write_port_etc()

	status_t write_port(port_id port,       int32 msg_code,       void *msg_buffer,       size_t buffer_size) status_t write_port_etc(port_id port,       int32 msg_code,       void *msg_buffer,       size_t buffer_size,       uint32 flags,       bigtime_t timeout)

These functions place a message at the tail of port's message queue. The message consists of msg_code and msg_buffer:

• msg_code holds the "message code." This is a mask, flag, or other predictable value that gives a general representation of the message.

• msg_buffer is a pointer to a buffer that can be used to supply additional information. You pass the length of the buffer, in bytes, as the value of the buffer_size argument. The buffer can be arbitrarily long.

If the port's queue is full when you call write_port(), the function will block. It returns when a read_port() call frees a slot in the queue for the new message. A blocked write_port() will also return if the target port is deleted or closed.

The write_port_etc() function lets you set a limit on the amount of time the function will wait for a free queue slot. To set the limit, you pass B_TIMEOUT as the flags argument, and set timeout to the amount of time, in microseconds, that you're willing to wait.

RETURN CODES

• B_OK. The port was successully written to.

• B_BAD_PORT_ID. port doesn't identify an open port, or the port was deleted while the function was blocked.

• B_TIMED_OUT. The timeout limit expired.

• B_WOULD_BLOCK. You asked for a timeout of 0, but there are no free slots in the message queue.

See also: read_port()

Port Structures and Constants

port_info

	struct {       port_id port;       team_id team;       char name[B_OS_NAME_LENGTH];       int32 capacity;          int32 queue_count;       int32 total_count;       } port_info

The port_info structure provides information about a port. You retrieve one of these structures through get_port_info() or get_next_port_info().

• port. The port_id number of the port.

• team. The team_id of the port's owner.

• name. The name assigned to the port.

• capacity. The length of the port's message queue.

• queue_count. The number of messages currently in the queue.

• total_count. The total number of message that have been read from the port.

Note that the total_count number doesn't include the messages that are currently in the queue.