Unit-3: Networking

Networking in Java refers to the process of connecting two or more devices together over a network to exchange data and communicate with each other. In Java, networking is implemented using the java.net package, which provides a set of classes and interfaces for building network-based applications.

Some commonly used classes for network programming in Java include:

  • Socket: used for creating a connection between a client and a server.
  • ServerSocket: used for creating a server that listens for incoming client connections.
  • URL: used for accessing resources over the Internet using the HTTP or FTP protocols.
  • URLConnection: used for sending and receiving data from a URL.
  • InetAddress: used for working with IP addresses.

These classes provide a high-level API for networking in Java, making it easy to build network-based applications that can run on any platform

Datagram Socket: A datagram socket is a type of network socket that uses the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) to transmit data over a network. In Java, the DatagramSocket class is used to implement datagram sockets.

UDP is a connectionless protocol, meaning that it does not establish a reliable connection between two devices. Instead, it sends data in the form of individual packets, called datagrams, which may arrive out of order or not at all. This makes UDP well suited for applications that require fast, real-time communication and can tolerate some loss of data, such as video and audio streaming.

TCP/IP based Server Socket: A TCP/IP based server socket is a type of network socket that uses the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) to transmit data over a network. In Java, the ServerSocket class is used to implement TCP/IP server sockets.

TCP is a reliable, connection-oriented protocol that establishes a reliable, bi-directional communication channel between two devices. When a client connects to a server, a socket is created on both the client and server devices, allowing them to send and receive data. Unlike UDP, TCP ensures that all data is transmitted in the correct order and retransmits any lost data, making it well suited for applications that require reliable data transfer, such as file transfers and email.

Both datagram sockets and TCP/IP based server sockets are useful for different types of network applications, and the choice between the two will depend on the specific requirements of the application.

datagram socket and TCP/IP based server socket