Reference Manual
Release Notes
PDF
Top

Kernel
Reference Manual
Version 2.15.3

Expand All
Contract All

Table of Contents

# gen_udp

### MODULE

gen_udp

### MODULE SUMMARY

Interface to UDP sockets

### DESCRIPTION

The gen_udp module provides functions for communicating with sockets using the UDP protocol.

### DATA TYPES

option() = {active, true | false | once}
| {add_membership,
{inet:ip_address(), inet:ip_address()}}
| {broadcast, boolean()}
| {buffer, integer() >= 0}
| {deliver, port | term}
| {dontroute, boolean()}
| {drop_membership,
{inet:ip_address(), inet:ip_address()}}
| {header, integer() >= 0}
| {mode, list | binary}
| list
| binary
| {multicast_if, inet:ip_address()}
| {multicast_loop, boolean()}
| {multicast_ttl, integer() >= 0}
| {priority, integer() >= 0}
| {raw,
Protocol :: integer() >= 0,
OptionNum :: integer() >= 0,
ValueBin :: binary()}
| {read_packets, integer() >= 0}
| {recbuf, integer() >= 0}
| {reuseaddr, boolean()}
| {sndbuf, integer() >= 0}
| {tos, integer() >= 0}

option_name() = active
| broadcast
| buffer
| deliver
| dontroute
| header
| mode
| multicast_if
| multicast_loop
| multicast_ttl
| priority
| {raw,
Protocol :: integer() >= 0,
OptionNum :: integer() >= 0,
ValueSpec :: (ValueSize :: integer() >= 0)
| (ValueBin :: binary())}
| read_packets
| recbuf
| reuseaddr
| sndbuf
| tos

socket()

As returned by open/1,2.

### EXPORTS

open(Port) -> {ok, Socket} | {error, Reason}
open(Port, Opts) -> {ok, Socket} | {error, Reason}

Types:

Port = inet:port_number()
Opts = [Option]
Option = {ip, inet:ip_address()}
| {fd, integer() >= 0}
| {ifaddr, inet:ip_address()}
| inet:address_family()
| {port, inet:port_number()}
| option()
Socket = socket()
Reason = inet:posix()

Associates a UDP port number (Port) with the calling process.

The available options are:

list

  Received Packet is delivered as a list.

binary

  Received Packet is delivered as a binary.

{ip, ip_address()}

  If the host has several network interfaces, this option specifies which one to use.

{ifaddr, ip_address()}

  Same as {ip, ip_address()}. If the host has several network interfaces, this option specifies which one to use.

{fd, integer() >= 0}

  If a socket has somehow been opened without using gen_udp, use this option to pass the file descriptor for it.

inet6

  Set up the socket for IPv6.

inet

  Set up the socket for IPv4.

{udp_module, module()}

  Override which callback module is used. Defaults to inet_udp for IPv4 and inet6_udp for IPv6.

{multicast_if, Address}

  Set the local device for a multicast socket.

{multicast_loop, true | false}

  When true sent multicast packets will be looped back to the local sockets.

{multicast_ttl, Integer}

  The multicast_ttl option changes the time-to-live (TTL) for outgoing multicast datagrams in order to control the scope of the multicasts.

  Datagrams with a TTL of 1 are not forwarded beyond the local network.
  Default: 1

{add_membership, {MultiAddress, InterfaceAddress}}

  Join a multicast group.

{drop_membership, {MultiAddress, InterfaceAddress}}

  Leave multicast group.

Opt

  See inet:setopts/2.

The returned socket Socket is used to send packets from this port with send/4. When UDP packets arrive at the opened port, they are delivered as messages:

    {udp, Socket, IP, InPortNo, Packet}

Note that arriving UDP packets that are longer than the receive buffer option specifies, might be truncated without warning.

IP and InPortNo define the address from which Packet came. Packet is a list of bytes if the option list was specified. Packet is a binary if the option binary was specified.

Default value for the receive buffer option is {recbuf, 8192}.

If Port == 0, the underlying OS assigns a free UDP port, use inet:port/1 to retrieve it.

send(Socket, Address, Port, Packet) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Socket = socket()
Address = inet:ip_address() | inet:hostname()
Port = inet:port_number()
Packet = iodata()
Reason = not_owner | inet:posix()

Sends a packet to the specified address and port. The Address argument can be either a hostname, or an IP address.

recv(Socket, Length) ->
{ok, {Address, Port, Packet}} | {error, Reason}
recv(Socket, Length, Timeout) ->
{ok, {Address, Port, Packet}} | {error, Reason}

Types:

Socket = socket()
Length = integer() >= 0
Timeout = timeout()
Address = inet:ip_address()
Port = inet:port_number()
Packet = string() | binary()
Reason = not_owner | inet:posix()

This function receives a packet from a socket in passive mode.

The optional Timeout parameter specifies a timeout in milliseconds. The default value is infinity.

controlling_process(Socket, Pid) -> ok | {error, Reason}

Types:

Socket = socket()
Pid = pid()
Reason = closed | not_owner | inet:posix()

Assigns a new controlling process Pid to Socket. The controlling process is the process which receives messages from the socket. If called by any other process than the current controlling process, {error, not_owner} is returned.

close(Socket) -> ok

Types:

Socket = socket()

Closes a UDP socket.