path: root/doc/zmq_socket.txt

zmq_socket(3)
=============


NAME
----
zmq_socket - create 0MQ socket


SYNOPSIS
--------
*void *zmq_socket (void '*context', int 'type');*


DESCRIPTION
-----------
The 'zmq_socket()' function shall create a 0MQ socket within the specified
'context' and return an opaque handle to the newly created socket. The 'type'
argument specifies the socket type, which determines the semantics of
communication over the socket.

The newly created socket is initially unbound, and not associated with any
endpoints. In order to establish a message flow a socket must first be
connected to at least one endpoint with linkzmq:zmq_connect[3], or at least one
endpoint must be created for accepting incoming connections with
linkzmq:zmq_bind[3].

.Key differences to conventional sockets
Generally speaking, conventional sockets present a _synchronous_ interface to
either connection-oriented reliable byte streams (SOCK_STREAM), or
connection-less unreliable datagrams (SOCK_DGRAM). In comparison, 0MQ sockets
present an abstraction of an asynchronous _message queue_, with the exact
queueing semantics depending on the socket type in use. Where conventional
sockets transfer streams of bytes or discrete datagrams, 0MQ sockets transfer
discrete _messages_.

0MQ sockets being _asynchronous_ means that the timings of the physical
connection setup and teardown, reconnect and effective delivery are transparent
to the user and organized by 0MQ itself. Further, messages may be _queued_ in
the event that a peer is unavailable to receive them.

Conventional sockets allow only strict one-to-one (two peers), many-to-one
(many clients, one server), or in some cases one-to-many (multicast)
relationships. With the exception of 'ZMQ_PAIR', 0MQ sockets may be connected
*to multiple endpoints* using _zmq_connect()_, while simultaneously accepting
incoming connections *from multiple endpoints* bound to the socket using
_zmq_bind()_, thus allowing many-to-many relationships.

.Socket types
The following sections present the socket types defined by 0MQ, grouped by the
general _messaging pattern_ which is built from related socket types.


Request-reply pattern
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The request-reply pattern is used for sending requests from a _client_ to one
or more instances of a _service_, and receiving subsequent replies to each
request sent.


ZMQ_REQ
^^^^^^^
A socket of type 'ZMQ_REQ' is used by a _client_ to send requests to and
receive replies from a _service_. This socket type allows only an alternating
sequence of _zmq_send(request)_ and subsequent _zmq_recv(reply)_ calls. Each
request sent is load-balanced among all _services_, and each reply received is
matched with the last issued request.

When a 'ZMQ_REQ' socket enters an exceptional state due to having reached the
high water mark for all _services_, or if there are no _services_ at all, then
any linkzmq:zmq_send[3] operations on the socket shall block until the
exceptional state ends or at least one _service_ becomes available for sending;
messages are not discarded.

[horizontal]
.Summary of ZMQ_REQ characteristics
Compatible peer sockets:: 'ZMQ_REP'
Direction:: Bidirectional
Send/receive pattern:: Send, Receive, Send, Receive, ...
Outgoing routing strategy:: Load-balanced
Incoming routing strategy:: Last peer
ZMQ_HWM option action:: Block


ZMQ_REP
^^^^^^^
A socket of type 'ZMQ_REP' is used by a _service_ to receive requests from and
send replies to a _client_. This socket type allows only an alternating
sequence of _zmq_recv(request)_ and subsequent _zmq_send(reply)_ calls. Each
request received is fair-queued from among all _clients_, and each reply sent
is routed to the _client_ that issued the last request.

When a 'ZMQ_REP' socket enters an exceptional state due to having reached the
high water mark for a _client_, then any replies sent to the _client_ in
question shall be dropped until the exceptional state ends.

[horizontal]
.Summary of ZMQ_REP characteristics
Compatible peer sockets:: 'ZMQ_REQ'
Direction:: Bidirectional
Send/receive pattern:: Receive, Send, Receive, Send, ...
Incoming routing strategy:: Fair-queued
Outgoing routing stratagy:: Last peer
ZMQ_HWM option action:: Drop


Publish-subscribe pattern
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The publish-subscribe pattern is used for one-to-many distribution of data from
a single _publisher_ to multiple _subscribers_ in a fanout fashion.


ZMQ_PUB
^^^^^^^
A socket of type 'ZMQ_PUB' is used by a _publisher_ to distribute data.
Messages sent are distributed in a fanout fashion to all connected peers.
The linkzmq:zmq_recv[3] function is not implemented for this socket type.

When a 'ZMQ_PUB' socket enters an exceptional state due to having reached the
high water mark for a _subscriber_, then any messages that would be sent to the
_subscriber_ in question shall instead be dropped until the exceptional state
ends.

[horizontal]
.Summary of ZMQ_PUB characteristics
Compatible peer sockets:: 'ZMQ_SUB'
Direction:: Unidirectional
Send/receive pattern:: Send only
Incoming routing strategy:: N/A
Outgoing routing strategy:: Fanout
ZMQ_HWM option action:: Drop


ZMQ_SUB
^^^^^^^
A socket of type 'ZMQ_SUB' is used by a _subscriber_ to subscribe to data
distributed by a _publisher_. Initially a 'ZMQ_SUB' socket is not subscribed to
any messages, use the 'ZMQ_SUBSCRIBE' option of linkzmq:zmq_setsockopt[3] to
specify which messages to subscribe to. The _zmq_send()_ function is not
implemented for this socket type.

[horizontal]
.Summary of ZMQ_SUB characteristics
Compatible peer sockets:: 'ZMQ_PUB'
Direction:: Unidirectional
Send/receive pattern:: Receive only
Incoming routing strategy:: Fair-queued
Outgoing routing strategy:: N/A
ZMQ_HWM option action:: N/A


Pipeline pattern
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The pipeline pattern is used for distributing data to _nodes_ arranged in
a pipeline. Data always flows down the pipeline, and each stage of the pipeline
is connected to at least one _node_. When a pipeline stage is connected to
multiple _nodes_ data is load-balanced among all connected _nodes_.


ZMQ_DOWNSTREAM
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A socket of type 'ZMQ_DOWNSTREAM' is used by a pipeline _node_ to send messages
to downstream pipeline _nodes_. Messages are load-balanced to all connected
downstream _nodes_. The _zmq_recv()_ function is not implemented for this
socket type.

When a 'ZMQ_DOWNSTREAM' socket enters an exceptional state due to having
reached the high water mark for all downstream _nodes_, or if there are no
downstream _nodes_ at all, then any linkzmq:zmq_send[3] operations on the
socket shall block until the exceptional state ends or at least one downstream
_node_ becomes available for sending; messages are not discarded.

[horizontal]
.Summary of ZMQ_DOWNSTREAM characteristics
Compatible peer sockets:: 'ZMQ_UPSTREAM'
Direction:: Unidirectional
Send/receive pattern:: Send only
Incoming routing strategy:: N/A
Outgoing routing strategy:: Load-balanced
ZMQ_HWM option action:: Block


ZMQ_UPSTREAM
^^^^^^^^^^^^
A socket of type 'ZMQ_UPSTREAM' is used by a pipeline _node_ to receive
messages from upstream pipeline _nodes_. Messages are fair-queued from among
all connected upstream _nodes_. The _zmq_send()_ function is not implemented
for this socket type.

[horizontal]
.Summary of ZMQ_UPSTREAM characteristics
Compatible peer sockets:: 'ZMQ_DOWNSTREAM'
Direction:: Unidirectional
Send/receive pattern:: Receive only
Incoming routing strategy:: Fair-queued
Outgoing routing strategy:: N/A
ZMQ_HWM option action:: N/A


Exclusive pair pattern
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The exclusive pair is an advanced pattern used for communicating exclusively
between two peers.


ZMQ_PAIR
^^^^^^^^
A socket of type 'ZMQ_PAIR' can only be connected to a single peer at any one
time.  No message routing or filtering is performed on messages sent over a
'ZMQ_PAIR' socket.

When a 'ZMQ_PAIR' socket enters an exceptional state due to having reached the
high water mark for the connected peer, or if no peer is connected, then
any linkzmq:zmq_send[3] operations on the socket shall block until the peer
becomes available for sending; messages are not discarded.

NOTE: 'ZMQ_PAIR' sockets are experimental, and are currently missing several
features such as auto-reconnection.

[horizontal]
.Summary of ZMQ_PAIR characteristics
Compatible peer sockets:: 'ZMQ_PAIR'
Direction:: Bidirectional
Send/receive pattern:: Unrestricted
Incoming routing strategy:: N/A
Outgoing routing strategy:: N/A
ZMQ_HWM option action:: Block


RETURN VALUE
------------
The _zmq_socket()_ function shall return an opaque handle to the newly created
socket if successful. Otherwise, it shall return NULL and set 'errno' to one of
the values defined below.


ERRORS
------
*EINVAL*::
The requested socket 'type' is invalid.

*EMTHREAD*::
The maximum number of sockets within this 'context' has been exceeded.


SEE ALSO
--------
linkzmq:zmq_init[3]
linkzmq:zmq_setsockopt[3]
linkzmq:zmq_bind[3]
linkzmq:zmq_connect[3]
linkzmq:zmq_send[3]
linkzmq:zmq_recv[3]
linkzmq:zmq[7]


AUTHORS
-------
The 0MQ documentation was written by Martin Sustrik <sustrik@250bpm.com> and
Martin Lucina <mato@kotelna.sk>.