Email this page to a friend

Inter-process Communication

<programming, operating system> (IPC) Exchange of data between one process and another, either within the same computer or over a network.

It implies a protocol that guarantees a response to a request.

Examples are Unix sockets, RISC OS's messages, OS/2's Named Pipes, Microsoft Windows' DDE, Novell's SPX and Macintosh's IAC.

Although IPC is performed automatically by programs, an analogous function can be performed interactively when users cut and paste data from one process to another using a clipboard.

< Previous Terms	Terms Containing Inter-process Communication	Next Terms >
interpolation Interpress interpreted interpreter Interpretive Menu Processor	Convergent Technologies Operating System IPC windows messaging	interrupt interrupt handler interrupt list interrupt priority level interrupt request