It really depends. If your structure is just that - a flat structure - you can pass it directly as buffer to send(). However, if it contains pointers, you''ll just have to write a function which translates that structure (and potentially the stuff the pointers point to) into such a flat struct.

Note that a class is exactly the same as a struct in this case. Note that if your class or struct contains virtual functions, you''ll have a VMT pointer there.

On the receiving end it''s really the same. If it''s a flat structure, you can just use a local structure as recv() buffer which will then be filled in (in reality, it''ll be a bit more complex with intermediate buffering in TCP), and in the complex case you''ll need another translation function.

You''ll almost always write such a translation function. I always end up having structures in two different layouts, one local and one for the network, where the networking structures are e.g. more packed, have string table indexes instead of string pointers etc...

cu,
Prefect

Hi

Take a look at the MFC Serialization mechanisme.
It is also described on my homepage.

www.bunnz.com (PurpleLib)

Have fun
Bunnz