To share data, multiple processes can use memory-mapped files that the system paging file stores.
First Process
The first process creates the file mapping object by calling the CreateFileMapping
function with INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE and a name for the object. By using the
PAGE_READWRITE flag, the process has read/write permission to the memory
through any file views that are created.
Then the process uses the file mapping object handle that CreateFileMapping returns in a call to
MapViewOfFile to create a view of the file in the
process address space. The
MapViewOfFile function returns a pointer to the file view, pBuf. The process then uses the CopyMemory function to write a string to the view that can be accessed by other processes.
When the process no longer needs access to the file mapping object, it should call the CloseHandle function. When all handles are closed, the system can free the section of the paging file that the object uses.
#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <tchar.h>
#define BUF_SIZE 256
TCHAR szName[]=TEXT("Global\\MyFileMappingObject");
TCHAR szMsg[]=TEXT("Message from first process.");
int _tmain()
{
HANDLE hMapFile;
LPCTSTR pBuf;
hMapFile = CreateFileMapping(
INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, // use paging file
NULL, // default security
PAGE_READWRITE, // read/write access
0, // max. object size
BUF_SIZE, // buffer size
szName); // name of mapping object
if (hMapFile == NULL)
{
_tprintf(TEXT("Could not create file mapping object (%d).\n"),
GetLastError());
return 1;
}
pBuf = (LPTSTR) MapViewOfFile(hMapFile, // handle to map object
FILE_MAP_ALL_ACCESS, // read/write permission
0,
0,
BUF_SIZE);
if (pBuf == NULL)
{
_tprintf(TEXT("Could not map view of file (%d).\n"),
GetLastError());
CloseHandle(hMapFile);
return 1;
}
CopyMemory((PVOID)pBuf, szMsg, (_tcslen(szMsg) * sizeof(TCHAR)));
_getch();
UnmapViewOfFile(pBuf);
CloseHandle(hMapFile);
return 0;
}
Second Process
A second process can access the string written to the shared memory by the first process by calling the OpenFileMapping
function specifying the same name for the mapping object as the first process. Then it can use the
MapViewOfFile function to obtain a pointer to the file view, pBuf. The process can display this string as it would any other string. In this example, the message box displayed contains the message "Message from first process" that was written by the first process.
#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <conio.h>
#include <tchar.h>
#pragma comment(lib, "user32.lib")
#define BUF_SIZE 256
TCHAR szName[]=TEXT("Global\\MyFileMappingObject");
int _tmain()
{
HANDLE hMapFile;
LPCTSTR pBuf;
hMapFile = OpenFileMapping(
FILE_MAP_ALL_ACCESS, // read/write access
FALSE, // do not inherit the name
szName); // name of mapping object
if (hMapFile == NULL)
{
_tprintf(TEXT("Could not open file mapping object (%d).\n"),
GetLastError());
return 1;
}
pBuf = (LPTSTR) MapViewOfFile(hMapFile, // handle to map object
FILE_MAP_ALL_ACCESS, // read/write permission
0,
0,
BUF_SIZE);
if (pBuf == NULL)
{
_tprintf(TEXT("Could not map view of file (%d).\n"),
GetLastError());
CloseHandle(hMapFile);
return 1;
}
MessageBox(NULL, pBuf, TEXT("Process2"), MB_OK);
UnmapViewOfFile(pBuf);
CloseHandle(hMapFile);
return 0;
}
See Also
- Sharing Files and Memory
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Build date: 7/2/2009