readme

this gives details of the network programming

Simple RPC program.

This RPC program supports 2 remote procedures:

	add : adds 2 ints and returns the int sum.
	sub : returns the difference of 2 ints (returns an int).


FILES:

simp.x: this is the RPC protocol definition file. Although it looks like
        'C', it is not! This file is run through the C preprocessor and
	the result is processed by rpcgen. rpcgen will create a header
	file named simp.h containing data structure definitions and
	function prototypes for the C code generated. The generated
	C code is created in the files simp_clnt.c (which contains the
	client stubs) and simp_svc.c (which contains the main program
	for the server). rpcgen also creates any needed XDR filter functions
	in the file simp_xdr.c

simpclient.c: the main client program. I had to write this (although
	running "rpcgen -C -Sc" creates a template for this code). 
	This client just calls each of the remote procedures once and
	prints out the results. Remember that when calling the client
	stubs, you must pass pointers and the return value is a pointer.
	When in doubt - look at the client stubs and see what they expect!

simpservices.c: the actual remote procedures. I had to write these, 
	although "rpcgen -C -Ss" is a great start. The important thing
	here is to make sure the functions your create expect the
	right kind of parameters and return the right thing. With RPC,
	everything has to be a pointer - the procedure argument is 
	a pointer to the type your declared in the .x file, and the 
	return value is a pointer to the return type you declare in
	the .x file.

simp_svc.c: the server main program, this was created by rpcgen.

simp_clnt.c: the client stubs, this file was created by rpcgen.

simp_xdr.c: the XDR filter(s) needed for this application, this file
	was created by rpcgen.



IMPORTANT: You have to use rpcgen -C (generates ANSI C code instead of K&R). !!!