How to pass not basic types using .NET remoting?

[nigor]

Consider this simple server-client implemintation:

Server:

---------

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Text;

using System.Runtime.Remoting;

using System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels;

using System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp;

namespace Server

{

class Program

{

static void Main(string[] args)

{

TcpChannel tcpChannel = new TcpChannel(1024);

ChannelServices.RegisterChannel(tcpChannel, false);

RemotingConfiguration.RegisterWellKnownServiceType(

typeof(ServerInterface.ServerInterface),

"Server", WellKnownObjectMode.SingleCall);

}

}

}

Server interface library:

----------------------------

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Text;

using System.Windows.Forms;

using System.IO;

namespace ServerInterface

{

public class ServerInterface: MarshalByRefObject

{

public void ShowFileInfo(string filename)

{

MessageBox.Show(filename);

}

public void ShowFileInfo(FileInfo fileInfo)

{

MessageBox.Show(fileInfo.Name);

}

}

}

Client:

--------

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.Text;

using System.Runtime.Remoting;

using System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels;

using System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.Tcp;

using System.IO;

namespace Client

{

class Program

{

static void Main(string[] args)

{

TcpChannel tcpChannel = new TcpChannel();

ChannelServices.RegisterChannel(tcpChannel, false);

RemotingConfiguration.RegisterWellKnownClientType(

typeof(ServerInterface.ServerInterface),

"tcp://www.server-ip.com/Server");

ServerInterface.ServerInterface server = new ServerInterface.ServerInterface();

server.ShowFileInfo("C:\\test.txt"); // works

server.ShowFileInfo(new FileInfo("C:\\test.txt")); // hangs

}

}

}

-------------------------------------------------------------------

In my experimenting with .Net remoting, it seems that I can only pass simpe types from server to client, ie. strings, ints, enums, and my own types. Every single tutorial I read involves simple types, even the C# book I have which has quite a lot on .NET remoting. In the above example, ShowFileInfo for a FileInfo type would fail. And from what I read on the internet, it will happen because FileInfo, when passed from client to server, would have no meaning on the server, because its a pointer that points to a memory location on the client machine. But FileInfo derives from FileSystemInfo that derives from MarshalByRefObject. So the server, when receiving such an ojbect, would realize that its a pointer, yes, but a pointer that only has a meaning on the client machine, so in order to use it the server must communicate with the client, isnt that the whole idea of .net remoting?

If you run the above programs on the same machine, using "tcp://localhost/Server" in the call to RegisterWellKnownClientType, you will see that both calls to ShowFileInfo would work. If you move the server to a different machine, only the call to ShowFileInfo that accepts the string type parameter would work, the other one would hang for 30 secs and then you would get an exception saying "the client failed to respond within a reasonable time" or something.

Please help. Attached is a VS2005 source.

remoting_test.zipFetching info...

[azcodemonkey]

Check this out: http://www.thinktecture.com/Resources/Remo...hanges2003.html

Here's your project in working order.