Two Notepad Apps - Simultaneous Editing
I made a post the other day about not knowing where to start on a bigger project and I thought this made a good example of something I'd like to do as a learning experience.
I'd like to create an application where two Notepad-esque programs are running (on the same computer, to start with at least and yet they are sharing the same... file. Editing one updates the other. I can create a notepad application just fine, but I just wouldn't even know where to start communicating between the two?
So... Firstly, where would I start? And secondly, If I didn't have the wonderful people here, how would I start looking for how to start on my own? :)
-CT
I'd like to create an application where two Notepad-esque programs are running (on the same computer, to start with at least and yet they are sharing the same... file. Editing one updates the other. I can create a notepad application just fine, but I just wouldn't even know where to start communicating between the two?
So... Firstly, where would I start? And secondly, If I didn't have the wonderful people here, how would I start looking for how to start on my own? :)
-CT
You can make the two apps talk to each other, that's probably the nicer way of doing it. As you know, notepad just provides an Edit Control. Each time a change is made, you can broadcast a message that has:
1 - instance identifier
2 - change type (insert/delete)
3 - position of change
4 - character (for insert)
The app can also listen for these messages. When it receives such a message it:
1 - checks the instance id so it doesn't act on it's own notification
2 - applies the change to its Edit Control
You could also create a different app that sends the broadcast across the network to another computer somewhere and your thing would work across a network (such as the Internet).
It's a White Board app.
1 - instance identifier
2 - change type (insert/delete)
3 - position of change
4 - character (for insert)
The app can also listen for these messages. When it receives such a message it:
1 - checks the instance id so it doesn't act on it's own notification
2 - applies the change to its Edit Control
You could also create a different app that sends the broadcast across the network to another computer somewhere and your thing would work across a network (such as the Internet).
It's a White Board app.
Agreed, why not look into sockets. winsock if windows, posix if not. Beej's guide is great. And once you understand that a collaborative editor won't be hard.
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