Mastering Java: Networking and Socket Programming

Networking and socket programming are essential for developing applications that communicate over networks. In this article, we’ll explore the fundamentals of networking in Java, socket programming, and building client-server applications.

1. Introduction to Networking in Java

• Networking Basics: Overview of client-server architecture, TCP/IP stack.
• Java Networking APIs: java.net package for networking operations.

2. Socket Programming Basics

• Sockets: Communication endpoints for sending and receiving data.
• Socket Types: TCP sockets (Socket and ServerSocket) vs UDP sockets (DatagramSocket).
• IP Addresses and Ports: Understanding IP addresses (IPv4 vs IPv6) and port numbers.

3. TCP Socket Programming

• ServerSocket: Setting up a server to listen for client connections.
• Socket: Establishing client connections to a server.
• Input/Output Streams: Sending and receiving data over sockets.

Example of TCP Server:

import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;

public class TCPServer {
    public static void main(String[]…