Server communicates with client. I got a question.

Question

Hi everybody,
i am writing two programs, a server and a client. i want to write an aplication like MSN Messenger. So between the server and the "Java Messenger" (client) there is much communication like when the messenger want to connect to the server and receive his friendlist, or when the client connects to the server and asks for the ip adress of a friend to open a chat and so on. so I began to create a ServerSocket and a Socket for connecting the clinet with the server. But when i want to transfer messages like "i want to change my status" so there is only the In- and Outputstream possible in the world of socket, isn'it? So the idea would be to send and receive codemessages like CHANGE_STAT or ADD_NEW_FRIEND and so on... there, i see two possibilities, one is to transmet the codewords in Strings and the second is to transmet the codewords in a object called "MessageTyp" for example.
ok i think with this idea i will get the application Java Messenger functioning.
But my question is, doesnt in the world of Java exists a technique where the client connects to the server and receives all required references to the server's objects and the client will simply execute directly the methodes of the server's object to receive his needs?

Answer 1

What you can do is to use some tags like XML/HTML
something like this - --
whenever a plain message needs to be sent, you can send it through socket like this way--
<MESSAGE> -- Plain Message </MESSAGE>
For Controls like Buzz, <BUZZ></BUZZ>
Of course this involves a bit of coding on the server side to decipher the information sent from the client. But this will definitely enhance your messenger abilities. Of course you can enhance the above by sending tags for BOLD, ITALIC & UNDERLINE, FONTS and what not ... !!!