Interprocess Communication Methods for Windows in C# (.NET 2.0)

Interprocess communication (IPC) enables different processes in a system to exchange information. For local-only communication between a GUI/CLI application and a Windows service in C# (.NET 2.0), several approaches are available:

Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)

WCF, introduced in .NET 3.0, offers robust IPC mechanisms over named pipes, which can enhance communication reliability and reduce error susceptibility. Named pipes require .NET 3.0 or higher.

.NET Remoting

Remoting, released with .NET 1.0, also provides IPC functionality but is recommended to be replaced with WCF in favor of active development efforts. Remoting typically uses TCP channels for communication.

Win32 RPC via csharptest-net RpcLibrary

csharptest-net offers a .NET class library that wraps the Win32 RPC library, allowing IPC via local and remote RPC. This library provides an alternative to WCF and Remoting.

WM_COPYDATA

WM_COPYDATA, a WIN32 method, can facilitate IPC through the WM_COPYDATA message. This approach is relatively low-level and can be used for simple communication scenarios.

Sockets with Custom Protocol

Implementing a custom protocol over sockets enables IPC between processes. This approach requires coding effort to design and implement the custom protocol.

Selecting the most appropriate IPC method depends on the specific requirements and constraints of the application. WCF offers a robust and mature framework with named pipe support, while Remoting provides a legacy option. csharptest-net RpcLibrary and WM_COPYDATA offer alternative approaches with different strengths and limitations. Sockets with custom protocols provide greater flexibility but require more coding effort.