CreateNamedPipeW

CreateNamedPipeW is a Windows API function used to create a named pipe. A named pipe is a pipe, which is a unidirectional data channel, which is created by a process and used to send data to another process. The CreateNamedPipeW function allows a process to create a named pipe and specify its attributes, such as the read mode, write mode, and security attributes.

The CreateNamedPipeW function takes several parameters, including the pipe name, the read mode, the write mode, and the security attributes. The function returns a handle to the named pipe object, which can be used to manage the pipe. The function can also fail, returning an error code if the named pipe cannot be created.

Named pipes are useful for inter-process communication (IPC) between processes that are running on the same computer, but may not be running in the same process space. They can also be used to communicate between processes on different computers, using a protocol such as Message Queuing (MSMQ).

The CreateNamedPipeW function is typically used in server applications, where the server process creates the named pipe and waits for clients to connect. Clients can then connect to the named pipe using the ConnectNamedPipe function and send data to the server using the WriteFile function.

Some common uses of CreateNamedPipeW include implementing IPC between server and client processes, implementing client-server architectures, and implementing file sharing between processes.