How To Use RPC Callback Functions

 

This article was previously published under Q96781

SUMMARY

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The standard remote procedure call (RPC) model has a server containing one or more exported function calls, and a client, which calls the server's exported functions. However, Microsoft's implementation of RPC defines callbacks as a special interface definition language (IDL) attribute allowing a server to call a client function.

Callbacks can be used only in the context of a server call. Thus, a server may call a client's callback function only when the server is performing a client's remote procedure call (before it returns from processing). For example:

                CLIENT                SERVER
                ------                ------

       Client makes RPC call. --->
                                <--- Server calls callback procedure.
Client returns from callback. --->
                                <--- Server calls callback procedure.
Client returns from callback. --->
                                <--- Server returns from original RPC call.
				

MORE INFORMATION

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Callbacks are declared in the RPC .IDL file and defined in the source of the client. The following demonstrates how callbacks are declared and defined:

   [ SAMPLE.IDL ]
   [
      uuid(9FEE4F51-0396-101A-AE4F-08002B2D0065),
      version(1.0),
      pointer_default( unique )
   ]

   {
    void RPCProc( [in, string] unsigned char *pszStr );
    [callback] void CallbackProc([in,string] unsigned char *pszStr);
   }


   [ SAMPLEC.C (Client)]
   /*
      Callback RPC call (initiated from server, executed on client).
   */ 
   void CallbackProc( unsigned char *pszString )
   {
     printf("Call from server, printed on client: %s", pszStr );
   }


   [ SAMPLES.C (Server)]
   /*
      "Standard" RPC call (initiated from client, executed on server).
      Makes a call to client callback procedure, CallbackProc().
   */ 
   void RPCProc( unsigned char *pszStr )
   {
     printf("About to call Callback() client function.."
     CallbackProc( pszStr );
     printf("Called callback function.");
   }
				

In the makefile for the sample, the "-ms_ext" switch must be used for the MIDL compile. For example:

   midl -ms_ext -cpp_cmd $(cc) -cpp_opt "-E" sample.idl
				

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APPLIES TO

•	Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1
•	Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.5
•	Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.51
•	Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK) 4.0

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Keywords:

kbhowto kbapi kbrpc kbnetwork KB96781