How to implement sockets on the server side C#?

Question

I'm learning to work with sockets, and every example in every article or book demonstrates how a server should work using a desktop console or wpf application. The authors usually say that the same code can be easily implemented on the server .

Maybe it's easy, but still -- how? Do I have to use WCF or maybe something else? Is there any good book which can help me to become the lord of sockets?

Answer 1

The "same code on the server" comment means you're really developing a communications interface protocol. You send messages in a particular way, and expect to receive in the same way. Eg. fixed length messages vs agreed terminator; how message data is formatted etc.

If you put your code into it's own set of classes you can then host your code in any sort of application - console, wpf as you've stated but also.. windows services. In my case i've got it so that running the app in debug mode runs winforms, but as release mode runs as a service.

The answer to this SO question has some useful links.

Chat service application

I highly recommend Vadym's posts and Stephen Cleary's nito documentation.