Regarding Python's socket module, how do you have client always receive data

Question

I a server and client for a socket connection in Python,

client:

import socket
import sys
from sys import stdin

serv = 'ip goes here'
port = 8888
sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
sock.connect((serv, port))


def prompt():
    sys.stdout.write('<You> ')
    sys.stdout.flush()


def send(x):
    sock.sendall(x)
    rec = 0
    ex = len(x)
    while rec < ex:
        data = sock.recv(16)
        rec += len(data)

while 1:
    if sock:
        data = sock.recv(16)
        if len(data) == 0:
            pass
        print '<Server> %s' % data
        prompt()
        msg = stdin.readline()
        sock.sendall(msg)

The way I have it now, if you say something on one client, it will send "alphabet" to both clients but the other clients will not receive that until they send a new message as it is waiting for stdin.readline() to occur. I was wondering how to make it so the clients will always receive data from the server, and will see it without having to have stdin.readline() happen first.

Thanks

You're new so here's some advice. First, pastebin is not ok. You need to include your code, see MCVE: http://stackoverflow.com/help/mcve. Second, you need to pick out the little bit of the code that your problem is related to (again, see MCVE). — CrazyCasta, Jul 05 '15 at 17:14
To answer your question of how to do this though, the generally excepted means is to use threads. In one thread you'll have `stdin.readline()`, and in the other you'll have `data = sock.recv(16)`. You'll have to coordinate between the threads to decide how to print stuff out so you don't print out two things at the same time. — CrazyCasta, Jul 05 '15 at 17:22
Ah, sorry about that. Next time I will follow MCVE. Made it work like you said with threading, thanks. — user2896775, Jul 05 '15 at 17:46

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 05 '15 at 17:50

Achieved what I wanted by using threads as suggested by CrazyCasta

def receiving():
    while 1:
        if sock:
            data = sock.recv(16)
            if len(data) == 0:
                pass
            print '<Server> %s' % data


def sending():
    while 1:
        msg = stdin.readline()
        sock.sendall(msg)

t1 = Thread(target=receiving)
t2 = Thread(target=sending)

t1.start()
t2.start()

Regarding Python's socket module, how do you have client always receive data

1 Answers1