Simple TCP server written in C

Can be used with netcat or telnet

Project Overview:

The project aims to develop a simple chat application that can handle incoming connections, manage client-server communication, and process messages efficiently using multithreading and message queues.

Key Components:

1. Server Context:
   • Manages the state of the server, including the key-value table of connections and the buffer of recent messages.
2. Connection Management:
   • Provides functions for initializing, handling, and closing client connections.
3. Message Handling:
   • Defines message structures and functions for processing incoming and outgoing messages.
4. Multithreading:
   • Utilizes pthreads for concurrent execution of tasks, such as listening for incoming connections and handling client requests.
5. Message Queues:
   • Implements message queues for inter-thread communication, allowing seamless message passing between different components of the server.

Workflow:

1. Initialization:
   • The server initializes its context, establishes a message queue for communication, and sets up data structures for connection and message management.
2. Connection Acceptance:
   • The server listens for incoming connections and accepts them using a listener thread.
3. Message Handling
   • Incoming messages from clients are processed using message queues.
   • Message content is decoded and appropriate actions are taken based on the message type.
4. Response Generation:
   • Upon receiving messages, the server generates appropriate responses and sends them back to clients or performs necessary actions.
5. Termination:
   • The server gracefully shuts down, freeing resources and closing connections before exiting.

Technologies Used:

• C Programming Language: Core server logic is implemented in C for low-level control and performance optimization.
• POSIX Threads (pthreads): Multithreading capabilities are leveraged using pthreads for concurrent execution of tasks.
• Message Queues (POSIX mq): Inter-thread communication is facilitated through message queues, enabling seamless message passing between components.

Target Environment:

• The server application is designed to run in a POSIX-compliant environment, such as Unix-like operating systems (e.g., Linux).