c - How to check EOF when read() on FIFO - c

Question

In a client-server program, need check EOF for read() on a FIFO?
Questions:
Does EOF in FIFO return 0, or -1 with errno set?
Does the rule also apply to other IPC facilities?
#Update
I still found the result wield, so need to continue ask about it.
Following are the source code:
cs_fifo.h:
// fifo header
#ifndef _CS_FIFO
#define _CS_FIFO
#define CLIENT_DATA_SIZE 2
#define SERVER_DATA_SIZE 10
#define SERVER_FIFO_PATH "/tmp/server_fifo"
#define CLIENT_COUNT 3
#endif
fifo_server.c:
// client - server fifo, server part,
#include <stdio.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include "cs_fifo.h"
int fifo_server() {
int flag;
int fd;
char buf[CLIENT_DATA_SIZE];
// remove fifo, before create
remove(SERVER_FIFO_PATH);
// create fifo
mode_t mode = 0644;
if((flag = mkfifo(SERVER_FIFO_PATH, mode)) == -1) {
printf("error while mkfifo(): %s\n", strerror(errno));
return -1;
}
printf("server fifo created, path: %s\n", SERVER_FIFO_PATH);
// open for read
if((fd = open(SERVER_FIFO_PATH, O_RDONLY)) == -1) {
printf("error while open(): %s\n", strerror(errno));
exit(-1);
}
// loop to receive data from client,
while(1) {
// read from fifo
if((flag = read(fd, buf, CLIENT_DATA_SIZE)) == -1) {
printf("error while read(): %s\n", strerror(errno));
exit(0);
} else if(flag == 0) { // no data
printf("no data\n");
sleep(1);
continue;
}
// data received,
printf("receive data: %s\n", buf);
// send data back to client's fifo,
// TODO
}
// remove fifo, after finish using,
remove(SERVER_FIFO_PATH);
return 0;
}
int main(int argc, char * argv[]) {
return fifo_server();
}
fifo_client.c:
// client - server fifo, client pool part,
#include <stdio.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include "cs_fifo.h"
int fifo_client_pool() {
int flag;
int server_fd;
char data[CLIENT_DATA_SIZE];
int i = 0;
pid_t cpid;
char identity;
// open for write
if((server_fd= open(SERVER_FIFO_PATH, O_WRONLY)) == -1) {
printf("error while open(): %s\n", strerror(errno));
exit(-1);
}
// create child processes as clients,
while(i < CLIENT_COUNT) {
switch(cpid=fork()) {
case -1: // failed
printf("error while fork(): %s\n", strerror(errno));
exit(errno);
case 0: // success, child process goes here
printf("child process created, pid [%d], parent pid [%d]\n",(int)getpid(), (int)getppid());
identity = i + 65; // start from 'A'
// prepare data
data[0] = identity;
data[1] = '\0';
// write to fifo
if((flag = write(server_fd, data, CLIENT_DATA_SIZE)) == -1) {
printf("[%c] error while write(): %s\n", identity, strerror(errno));
_exit(-1);
}
printf("[%c] send data to server\n", identity);
_exit(0);
break;
default: // success, parent process goes here
// sleep a while,
sleep(1);
break;
}
i++;
}
if((flag = close(server_fd)) != 0) {
printf("error while close(): %s\n", strerror(errno));
}
return 0;
}
int main(int argc, char * argv[]) {
return fifo_client_pool();
}
Compile:
Server: gcc -Wall fifo_server.c -o server
Client: gcc -Wall fifo_client_pool.c -o client_pool
Execute:
First start server: ./server
Then start client pool: ./client_pool
Result:
Server start, and blocks before client start.
Then client start, and server receive 1 request from each of the 3 clients, that's 3 in total.
Then all client processes terminated, then server's read() continue return 0 without blocked.
The future question is:
After all clients terminated, shouldn't server's read() block? Since it's in blocking mode?

Answer 1

All reads from a descriptor where read returns zero means "closed" or "end".
If you have a blocking descriptor (the default) then read will block if there's currently nothing to read. If the descriptor is non-blocking then read returns -1 with errno set to EAGAIN or EWOULDBLOCK if there's nothing to read.