What is a socket?
A socket is an endpoint for communication between two programs or processes running on different devices or across a network.
It allows for bidirectional communication by providing an interface for sending and receiving data.
In computer networking, a socket is uniquely identified by an IP address and a port number. The IP address represents the device’s network address, while the port number identifies a specific application or process running on that device.
Sockets use various protocols, such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP), to establish a reliable or unreliable connection between two endpoints. TCP provides a reliable, connection-oriented communication channel, while UDP offers a lightweight, connectionless option. Depending on the requirements of the application, either protocol can be used.
Sockets enable network programming, allowing developers to create applications that can communicate over the network. They provide an abstraction layer that simplifies the process of establishing and managing network connections, sending data, and receiving data.
Overall, sockets are a fundamental concept in computer science and are widely used in client-server applications, web technologies, messaging systems, and various other network-based systems.
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