Question

I am having difficulties in implementing a simple TCP server. The following code is taken from boost::asio examples, “Http Server 1” to be precise.

void connection::start() {
    socket_.async_read_some(
            boost::asio::buffer(buffer_),
            boost::bind(
                &connection::handle_read, shared_from_this(),
                boost::asio::placeholders::error,
                boost::asio::placeholders::bytes_transferred
            )
        );
}
void connection::handle_read(const boost::system::error_code& e, std::size_t bytes_transferred) {
        if (!e && bytes_transferred)    {
                std::cout << " " << bytes_transferred <<"b" << std::endl;
                data_.append(buffer_.data(), buffer_.data()+bytes_transferred);

                //(1) what here?                
                socket_.async_read_some(
                    boost::asio::buffer(buffer_), 
                    boost::bind(
                        &connection::handle_read, shared_from_this(),
                        boost::asio::placeholders::error,
                        boost::asio::placeholders::bytes_transferred
                    )
                ); 

            }
            else// if (e != boost::asio::error::operation_aborted)
            {
                std::cout << data_ << std::endl;
                connection_manager_.stop(shared_from_this());
            }
        }

In the original code the buffer_ is big enough to keep the entire request. It’s not what I need. I’ve changed the size to 32bytes.

The server compiles and listens at port 80 of localhost, so I try to connect to it via my web browser.

Now if the statement (1) is commented-out, then only the first 32bytes of the request are read and the connection hangs. Web browser keeps waiting for the response, the server does.. I dont know what.

If (1) is uncommented, then the entire request is read (and appeded to data_), but it never stops – I have to cancel the request in my browser and only then does the else { } part run – I see my request on stdout.

Question 1: How should I handle a large request?
Question 2: How should I cache the request (currently I append the buffer to a string)?
Question 3: How can I tell that the request is over? In HTTP there always is a response, so my web-browser keeps waiting for it and doesnt close the connection, but how can my server know that the request is over (and perhaps close it or reply some “200 OK”)?

Answer 1

Suppose browser send you 1360 bytes of data, you say asio to read some data into your buffer that you say it only have 32 bytes.
then first time that you call it your handler will be called with 32 bytes start of data. here if you comment (1) then browser try to send rest of its data(actually browser already sent it and it is in the OS buffer that wait for you to peek it from there) and you are possibly blocked behind io_service::run for some miracle!!

if you uncomment (1) as you say your loop started, you read first block, then next and another and … until the data that the browser sent finished, but after that when you say asio to read some more data it will wait for some more data that never come from the browser( since browser already sent its information and is waiting for your answer ) and when you cancel the request from the browser, it will close its socket and then your handler will be called whith an error that say I can’t read more data, since the connection is closed.!!

but what you should do here to make it work is: you should learn HTTP format and thus know what is the data that your browser sent to you and provide a good answer for it and then your communication with the client will be proceeded. in this case end of buffer is \r\n\r\n and when you see it you shouldn’t read any more data, you should process what you read till now and then send a response to the browser.