using InputStream.available() when recieving data from server

[borbjo]

I use InputStream.available() when recieving data from server to see if the server responded.

If it is 0, I do not do anything (assume the response was negative)..

But does it wait for the server, or could it give me 0 in a case where the server has not yet responded?

 

[Cagliostro]

in TCP connection any client/server operations are coordinated by both, clients and servers

Ion Filipski

 

[borbjo]

Hmm, it doesn't seem that way,

cause I get available()==0 about 1 of 10 times when I know the server sends the same response each time.

 

[Cagliostro]

it is because in the stream is not any data. By the way, this function is very expensive in computer processor and memory resources. If you want wait until serevr sends some data is much better to use read* family functions. By the way, no data will be sent from the server until server side output stream is not flush()'ed. So, if server writes something in the stream, it does not mean what this data is sent to client. Function available checks the input stream for available data, and does not result in a call from client to server. When some data exist in the stream, the value of available will be different than 0. If there is some error on the connection, you will get an exception.

Ion Filipski

 

[borbjo]

Ok, thank you for that explanation Ion