TCP .NET (How It Works For Developers)

Modern software programs must be able to send data over networks reliably and efficiently in the linked world of today. The internet's primary networking protocol, TCP/IP, offers a stable framework for data transfer in a variety of network conditions. Device communication is made possible by this suite of protocols, which supports a number of use cases including file transmission, remote access, and real-time communication.

Conversely, IronPDF is a feature-rich .NET library for creating and modifying PDF files. IronPDF is a useful tool for document generating, reporting, and data visualization activities since it allows developers to dynamically create PDF files from HTML content, URLs, or raw data.

In this post, we explore how to integrate IronPDF with TCP .Net to facilitate effective document generation in .NET applications. By merging these technologies, programmers can increase productivity and scalability in their applications by using network communication to obtain data, work with distant systems, and create dynamic PDF pages.

How to use TCP/IP communication

1. Create a new C# project in Visual Studio.
2. Import the namespace System.Net and System.Net.Sockets.
3. Create a TCP server and TCP client program. Specify the IP address and port number.
4. Send the message from the server to the client. Log the server message from the client into the report.
5. Close the connections.

Introduction to TCP .NET

A set of communication protocols known as TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) regulates the sending and receiving of data via networks, mainly the Internet. A standardized framework for computer and device communication is provided by TCP/IP, allowing data to be sent across networks that are connected. There are various layers of TCP/IP, and each one is in charge of handling particular facets of communication.

The Internet Protocol (IP), which manages data packet addressing and routing between devices on a network, is the fundamental component of TCP/IP. Each device connected to the network is given a unique IP address, or network address, by IP, which enables data to be transferred to and received from specified locations.

Features of TCP protocol

1. Dependability

Sequence numbers, acknowledgments, and retransmissions are only a few of the techniques that TCP uses to guarantee dependable data delivery. A sender delivers data packets and then waits for the recipient to acknowledge the packet as successfully delivered. To make sure the data packet is delivered, the sender retransmits it if an acknowledgment is not received in a predetermined amount of time. This reliability mechanism aids in avoiding transmission-related data loss or corruption.

2. Connection-Oriented Communication

Before sending data, TCP protocol creates a connection between the sender and the recipient. In order to establish synchronization and decide on communication settings, the sender and receiver engage in a three-way handshake process during the connection setup. Data can be transferred back and forth between the parties until the connection is broken.

3. Flow management

To manage the speed at which data is sent from the sender to the recipient, TCP uses flow control methods. Flow control uses sliding window methods to stop the sender from sending too much data to the recipient. The sender can modify its transmission rate by responding to the receiver's advertisement of its available buffer space. By doing this, network resources are used effectively and congestion or buffer overflow is avoided.

Getting Started with TCP

Creating a New Project in Visual Studio

To open the Visual Studio application, select the File menu. After selecting "New Project," choose "Console application."

After choosing the file location, type the project name in the assigned text field. Next, click the Create button after choosing the required .NET Framework, as seen in the sample below.

Setting Up TCP in C# Projects

The Network System.NET Base Class Library includes the sockets namespace, which should be available by default in your C# project. It offers classes on how to operate with sockets, which are network communication endpoints.

Implementing TCP in Windows Console and Forms

TCP is supported by a number of C# application types, including Windows Forms (WinForms) and Windows Console. Although each framework has a different implementation, the basic concept is always the same: TCP/IP acts as a container for communication between your application's client and server.

A Basic Example of Communication between client and server using TCP

TCP code is divided into two parts: one is the server, and another is the client. The server code sends the message to the client using the IP address and port, and the client receives the data and processes accordingly.

TCP server code

// Basic TCP Server Code in C#
using System;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Sockets;
using System.IO;

class TcpServer
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Set up the server endpoint with localhost IP address and a specified port
        var endPoint = new IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Parse("127.0.0.1"), 57472);

        // Create a new TcpListener and start listening for incoming connections
        TcpListener listener = new TcpListener(endPoint);
        listener.Start();
        Console.WriteLine("Server listening...");

        // Accept a TcpClient once a connection attempt is made
        TcpClient client = listener.AcceptTcpClient();
        Console.WriteLine("Client connected");

        // Obtain a NetworkStream object for reading and writing data
        NetworkStream stream = client.GetStream();
        StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(stream);

        // Write a message to the client's stream and flush to ensure it's sent
        writer.WriteLine("Hello from the server");
        writer.Flush();

        Console.WriteLine("Message sent from server");
        // Close the client connection
        client.Close();

        // Stop the server listener after communication
        listener.Stop();
    }
}

// Basic TCP Server Code in C#
using System;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Sockets;
using System.IO;

class TcpServer
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Set up the server endpoint with localhost IP address and a specified port
        var endPoint = new IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Parse("127.0.0.1"), 57472);

        // Create a new TcpListener and start listening for incoming connections
        TcpListener listener = new TcpListener(endPoint);
        listener.Start();
        Console.WriteLine("Server listening...");

        // Accept a TcpClient once a connection attempt is made
        TcpClient client = listener.AcceptTcpClient();
        Console.WriteLine("Client connected");

        // Obtain a NetworkStream object for reading and writing data
        NetworkStream stream = client.GetStream();
        StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(stream);

        // Write a message to the client's stream and flush to ensure it's sent
        writer.WriteLine("Hello from the server");
        writer.Flush();

        Console.WriteLine("Message sent from server");
        // Close the client connection
        client.Close();

        // Stop the server listener after communication
        listener.Stop();
    }
}

' Basic TCP Server Code in C#
Imports System
Imports System.Net
Imports System.Net.Sockets
Imports System.IO

Friend Class TcpServer
	Shared Sub Main()
		' Set up the server endpoint with localhost IP address and a specified port
		Dim endPoint = New IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Parse("127.0.0.1"), 57472)

		' Create a new TcpListener and start listening for incoming connections
		Dim listener As New TcpListener(endPoint)
		listener.Start()
		Console.WriteLine("Server listening...")

		' Accept a TcpClient once a connection attempt is made
		Dim client As TcpClient = listener.AcceptTcpClient()
		Console.WriteLine("Client connected")

		' Obtain a NetworkStream object for reading and writing data
		Dim stream As NetworkStream = client.GetStream()
		Dim writer As New StreamWriter(stream)

		' Write a message to the client's stream and flush to ensure it's sent
		writer.WriteLine("Hello from the server")
		writer.Flush()

		Console.WriteLine("Message sent from server")
		' Close the client connection
		client.Close()

		' Stop the server listener after communication
		listener.Stop()
	End Sub
End Class

In this server code, we are creating a TCP server code that will send the data packets to the connected client. The server accepts incoming connections and sends a message through the TCP socket.

TCP Client code

// TCP client code
using System;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Sockets;
using System.IO;

class TcpClientExample
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Set up the client to connect to the same endpoint as the server
        var endPoint = new IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Parse("127.0.0.1"), 57472);

        // Initialize a new TcpClient and connect to the server endpoint
        TcpClient client = new TcpClient();
        client.Connect(endPoint);

        // Use a NetworkStream to read data received from the server
        NetworkStream stream = client.GetStream();
        StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(stream);

        // Read the response sent by the server and display it
        string response = reader.ReadLine();
        Console.WriteLine($"Message from server: {response}");

        // Close the connection once done
        client.Close();
    }
}

// TCP client code
using System;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Sockets;
using System.IO;

class TcpClientExample
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Set up the client to connect to the same endpoint as the server
        var endPoint = new IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Parse("127.0.0.1"), 57472);

        // Initialize a new TcpClient and connect to the server endpoint
        TcpClient client = new TcpClient();
        client.Connect(endPoint);

        // Use a NetworkStream to read data received from the server
        NetworkStream stream = client.GetStream();
        StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(stream);

        // Read the response sent by the server and display it
        string response = reader.ReadLine();
        Console.WriteLine($"Message from server: {response}");

        // Close the connection once done
        client.Close();
    }
}

' TCP client code
Imports System
Imports System.Net
Imports System.Net.Sockets
Imports System.IO

Friend Class TcpClientExample
	Shared Sub Main()
		' Set up the client to connect to the same endpoint as the server
		Dim endPoint = New IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Parse("127.0.0.1"), 57472)

		' Initialize a new TcpClient and connect to the server endpoint
		Dim client As New TcpClient()
		client.Connect(endPoint)

		' Use a NetworkStream to read data received from the server
		Dim stream As NetworkStream = client.GetStream()
		Dim reader As New StreamReader(stream)

		' Read the response sent by the server and display it
		Dim response As String = reader.ReadLine()
		Console.WriteLine($"Message from server: {response}")

		' Close the connection once done
		client.Close()
	End Sub
End Class

In the above client code, which connects to the TCP socket and reads the string message received from the TCP server, it then displays the message on the console. This example illustrates basic TCP client-server communication in a .NET environment.

TCP protocol Operations

Socket Management

To connect and exchange data between endpoints, TCP sockets are utilized. To interact over TCP, applications must create, bind, listen on, accept, connect, and close sockets as needed.

Security

Data transported over a network can be encrypted using TCP and security protocols like TLS/SSL to guarantee confidentiality and integrity.

Flow Control

Using flow control methods, TCP makes sure the sender doesn't send too much data to the recipient. In order to do this, the amount of data that can be transferred before receiving an acknowledgment is constantly adjusted via TCP windowing.

Basic Client and server Connection

To connect to a TCP server, you can build a TCP client. For this, use the TcpClient class.

TcpClient client = new TcpClient();
var endPoint = new IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Parse("127.0.0.1"), 57472);
client.Connect(endPoint);

TcpClient client = new TcpClient();
var endPoint = new IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Parse("127.0.0.1"), 57472);
client.Connect(endPoint);

Dim client As New TcpClient()
Dim endPoint = New IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Parse("127.0.0.1"), 57472)
client.Connect(endPoint)

Integrating TCP with IronPDF

Using TCP and IronPDF together

When TCP/IP networking and PDF generation are integrated with IronPDF in a .NET application, developers can create PDF documents dynamically based on data received via a TCP/IP connection. Because this interface allows for real-time document creation and customization, it can be used for a variety of purposes, including the generation of statements, invoices, and reports based on real-time data streams.

Install IronPDF

• Open the Visual Studio project.

• Choose "Tools" > "NuGet Package Manager" > "Package Manager Console".

  • In the Package Manager Console, Enter the below command:

  Install-Package IronPdf

  Install-Package IronPdf

  SHELL
• Alternatively, you can install IronPDF by using NuGet Package Manager for Solutions.
  • Browse the IronPDF package in the search results, select it, and then click on the "Install" button. Visual Studio will handle the download and installation automatically.

• NuGet will install the IronPDF package along with any dependencies required for your project.
• After installation, IronPDF can be utilized for your project.

Install Through the NuGet Website

Visit the IronPDF page on the NuGet website to learn more about IronPDF's features, compatibility, and other download options.

Utilize DLL to Install

Alternatively, you can incorporate IronPDF directly into your project by using its DLL file. To download the ZIP file containing the DLL, click on the IronPDF ZIP file download page. Once it has been unzipped, include the DLL in your project.

Implementing Logic

This integration enables real-time document creation and customization, making it suitable for various use cases such as generating reports, invoices, and statements based on live data streams.

1. Establishing Connection: A dependable, connection-oriented communication method is offered by TCP. Three steps are involved in the process of establishing a connection: SYN, SYN-ACK, and ACK. This guarantees that the server and client are prepared to exchange data.
2. Sending Data: Data can be transferred between endpoints once a connection has been made. TCP ensures that data will be sent correctly and in the correct order. Segments of the data are separated, transferred separately, and then assembled at the recipient.
3. Receiving Data: TCP buffers incoming data on the receiving end until the application can process it. Segments that are lost or corrupted are requested to be retransmitted by the recipient, who also acknowledges receiving the segments.
4. Save PDF and Notify: To create a PDF document dynamically based on supplied data, use IronPDF. With the data you have received, create HTML content or templates. Then, utilize IronPDF's API to turn that HTML content into a PDF document.

// IronPDF code example to create a PDF with network-received data
using System;
using IronPdf;

class PdfGenerator
{
    public static void GeneratePdf(string response)
    {
        // Create a PDF renderer
        var Renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Render an HTML snippet to a PDF and save it
        Renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Dynamic PDF Document</h1><p>Data from network: " + response + "</p>").SaveAs("document.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF generated and saved as document.pdf");
    }
}

// IronPDF code example to create a PDF with network-received data
using System;
using IronPdf;

class PdfGenerator
{
    public static void GeneratePdf(string response)
    {
        // Create a PDF renderer
        var Renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Render an HTML snippet to a PDF and save it
        Renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Dynamic PDF Document</h1><p>Data from network: " + response + "</p>").SaveAs("document.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF generated and saved as document.pdf");
    }
}

' IronPDF code example to create a PDF with network-received data
Imports System
Imports IronPdf

Friend Class PdfGenerator
	Public Shared Sub GeneratePdf(ByVal response As String)
		' Create a PDF renderer
		Dim Renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()

		' Render an HTML snippet to a PDF and save it
		Renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Dynamic PDF Document</h1><p>Data from network: " & response & "</p>").SaveAs("document.pdf")

		Console.WriteLine("PDF generated and saved as document.pdf")
	End Sub
End Class

To know more about the code example, refer to the IronPDF Documentation for Creating PDFs from HTML.

Below is the execution output:

Conclusion

In conclusion, a strong method for dynamically creating PDF documents based on real-time data received via a network connection is provided by the integration of TCP/IP networking with IronPDF in .NET applications. With this method, developers may construct document creation systems that are effective and adaptable to a wide range of industries and use cases.

Developers may reliably connect to distant servers or devices over TCP/IP networking, allowing them to receive real-time data streams that IronPDF can easily include in PDF publications. With the help of this integration, developers can create personalized reports, bills, statements, and other documents instantly and without the need for human involvement.

The $749 Lite bundle includes a perpetual license, one year of software maintenance, and a library upgrade for IronPDF. Check out the Iron Software website to find out more about Iron Software libraries.