Socket programming is a fundamental concept in network programming. It allows applications to send and receive data over a network. This tutorial will guide you through the basics of socket programming using Python.

What is a Socket?

A socket is a communication endpoint for sending or receiving data. It consists of an IP address and a port number. Sockets are used to establish a connection between two devices over a network.

Python Socket Programming

Python provides a built-in library called socket for socket programming. Here's how to use it:

Creating a Socket

import socket

# Create a socket object
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
  • socket.AF_INET indicates the Internet address family.
  • socket.SOCK_STREAM indicates the TCP/IP protocol.

Binding a Socket

# Bind the socket to a specific IP address and port
s.bind(('localhost', 8080))

Listening for Connections

# Start listening for incoming connections
s.listen(5)

Accepting Connections

# Accept a new connection
conn, addr = s.accept()

Sending Data

# Send data to the client
conn.sendall(b'Hello, World!')

Receiving Data

# Receive data from the client
data = conn.recv(1024)
print('Received:', data.decode())

Closing the Connection

# Close the connection
conn.close()
s.close()

Further Reading

For more detailed information on socket programming, you can refer to the following resources:

Socket Programming