interprogram

Interprogram refers to the set of techniques, protocols, and interfaces that enable two or more independent software programs to cooperate and exchange information. While not a formal standard, the term is commonly used to describe interactions between separate applications, libraries, or services, including data exchange, service requests, and coordinated task execution. The goal is to enable modular software architectures where components can be developed, deployed, and updated independently while still working together.

Mechanisms for interprogram communication include interprocess communication primitives such as pipes, shared memory, and network sockets, as well as higher-level approaches like application programming interfaces (APIs), remote procedure calls (RPC), web services, messaging systems, and event buses. Local interprogram communication often relies on IPC facilities provided by the operating system, whereas distributed interprogram communication uses network protocols and service discovery.

Applications include plugin ecosystems, where the host application and plugins run as separate processes or runtimes; client–server architectures; microservices; and automation workflows that coordinate external tools. Interprogram strategies emphasize data serialization formats, versioning, and contract stability to maintain compatibility across program boundaries.

Common challenges involve security, authentication, data integrity, latency, fault tolerance, and version drift. Proper design often entails formal interfaces, well-defined protocols, and robust error handling to ensure reliable coexistence of independent programs.

See also: interprocess communication, API, middleware, message queuing.