How does a Windows application create and manage named pipes for communication?

[ProfRon]

You ever wonder how two programs on your Windows machine chat without messing up? I mean, named pipes are like secret tunnels they dig to swap info. Your app kicks things off by calling CreateNamedPipe when it wants to be the boss, the server side. It picks a name, like a nickname for the pipe, and sets rules for how the talk flows. Then it waits, pipe open, ready for a buddy to knock.

I remember fiddling with this once, and you gotta handle overlaps right, or messages jumble. The app listens on that pipe, slurps in data as it arrives. When you're done, you call CloseHandle to shut the tunnel polite-like. No leaks, no hangs. Your client app joins by using CreateFile with that same name, like dialing a number. It connects smooth, then pumps out bytes or grabs incoming ones.

Pipes can bend for multiple chats too, if you tweak the setup. I like how they keep things local, no network fuss. You manage errors by checking returns, maybe retry if it flakes. It's all about keeping the flow steady, you know? Programs trade secrets fast this way.

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