Qt bidirectional client server using QTcpSocket and QTcpServer - c++

Question

I am trying to implement a bidirectional client-server program, where clients and servers can pass serialized objects between one another. I am trying to do this using Qt (QTcpSocket and QTcpServer). I have implemented programs like this in java, but I can't figure out how to do it using Qt. I've checked out the fortune client and fortune server examples...but from what I can see, the client is simply signaling the server, and the server sends it some data. I need for the client and server to send objects back and forth. I am not looking for a complete solution, all I am looking for is some guidance in the right direction.
I wrote some code, which accepts a connection, but does not accept the data.
SERVER
this class is the server; it should be accepting a connection and outputting the size of the buffer which is being sent. However it is outputting 0
#include "comms.h"
Comms::Comms(QString hostIP, quint16 hostPort)
{
server = new QTcpServer(this);
hostAddress.setAddress(hostIP);
this->hostPort = hostPort;
}
void Comms::attemptConnection(){
connect(server, SIGNAL(newConnection()), this, SLOT(connectionAccepted()));
//socket = server->nextPendingConnection();
server->listen(hostAddress,hostPort);
//receivedData = socket->readAll();
}
void Comms::connectionAccepted(){
qDebug()<<"Connected";
socket = new QTcpSocket(server->nextPendingConnection());
char* rec = new char[socket->readBufferSize()];
qDebug()<<socket->readBufferSize();
}
CLIENT
This class is the client. It should be sending the string 'hello'. It sends it successfully (to my knowledge)
#include "toplevelcomms.h"
#include "stdio.h"
TopLevelComms::TopLevelComms(QString hostIP, quint16 hostPort)
{
tcpSocket = new QTcpSocket();
hostAddress.setAddress(hostIP);
this->hostPort = hostPort;
}
void TopLevelComms::connect(){
tcpSocket->connectToHost(hostAddress,hostPort,QIODevice::ReadWrite);
//tcpSocket->waitForConnected(1);
QString string = "Hello";
QByteArray array;
array.append(string);
qDebug()<<tcpSocket->write(array);
}
Please tell me what I'm doing wrong, or tell me the general logic of establishing what I want in Qt.

Answer 1

QTcpSocket is asynchronous by default, so when you call connectToHost and write in same context it won't be sent, as socket is not connected. You should change your "client" code:
void TopLevelComms::connect(){
tcpSocket->connectToHost(hostAddress,hostPort,QIODevice::ReadWrite);
if(tcpSocket->waitForConnected()) // putting 1 as parameter isn't reasonable, using default 3000ms value
{
QString string = "Hello";
QByteArray array;
array.append(string);
qDebug()<<tcpSocket->write(array);
}
else
{
qDebug() << "couldn't connect";
}
}
Note: you also didn't check if you're able to listen
void Comms::attemptConnection(){
connect(server, SIGNAL(newConnection()), this, SLOT(connectionAccepted()));
//socket = server->nextPendingConnection();
if(server->listen(hostAddress,hostPort))
{
qDebug() << "Server listening";
}
else
{
qDebug() << "Couldn't listen to port" << server->serverPort() << ":" << server->errorString();
}
//receivedData = socket->readAll();
}
And last thing. Note that QTcpServer::nextPendingConnection() return QTcpSocket, so instead of taking that new connection you create new QTcpSocket with nextPendingConnection as parent
void Comms::connectionAccepted(){
qDebug()<<"Connected";
// WRONG! it will use QTcpSocket::QTcpSocket(QObject * parent)
//socket = new QTcpSocket(server->nextPendingConnection());
// use simple asign
socket = server->nextPendingConnection();
// move reading to slot
connect(socket, SIGNAL(readyRead()), this, SLOT(readSocket()));
}
now we will move reading to separate slot
void Comms::readSocket()
{
// note that dynamic size array is incompatible with some compilers
// we will use Qt data structure for that
//char* rec = new char[socket->readBufferSize()];
qDebug()<<socket->readBufferSize();
// note that QByteArray can be casted to char * and const char *
QByteArray data = socket->readAll();
}
I must admit, that it is a lot of errors as for such small code sample. You need to get some knowledge about TCP/IP connections. Those are streams and there is no warranty that whole data chunk will get to you at once

Answer 2

It looks like you have a timing issue. Since your client and server are different processes, there's no way you can guarantee that the entirety of TopLevelComms::connect() is being executed (along with the network data transfer) before your server's connectionAccepted() function tries to read from the socket.
I suspect that if you take advantage of QTcpSocket's waitForReadyRead() function, you should have better luck:
void Comms::connectionAccepted(){
qDebug()<<"Connected";
socket = new QTcpSocket(server->nextPendingConnection());
if( socket->waitForReadyRead() ) {
char* rec = new char[socket->readBufferSize()];
qDebug()<<socket->readBufferSize();
}
}