Python 3 – os.pipe() Method
Introduction
Python os.pipe()
method is used to create a pipe. A pipe is a way of inter-process communication(IPC) used for communication between two related processes. Pipes are used for sending data from one process to another process. The os.pipe()
method creates a pipe with a read
end and a write
end. Data that is written to one end of the pipe can be read from the other end of the pipe.
Syntax
The os.pipe()
syntax is as follows:
os.pipe()
Parameters
The os.pipe()
method does not take any parameters.
Return Value
The os.pipe()
method returns a pair of file descriptors. The first file descriptor is the read end of the pipe and the second file descriptor is the write end of the pipe.
Example
In the following example, we will create a pipe using the os.pipe()
method and we will write data to the pipe using the write()
method and read data from the other end of the pipe using the read()
method.
import os
r, w = os.pipe()
pid = os.fork()
if pid:
os.close(w)
r = os.fdopen(r)
print("Parent reading")
print(f"Read: {r.read()}")
r.close()
else:
os.close(r)
w = os.fdopen(w, 'w')
print("Child writing")
w.write('Hello from Child')
w.close()
Output:
Child writing
Parent reading
Read: Hello from Child
In the above example, we first create a pipe using the os.pipe()
method. We then fork a process using the os.fork()
method. The parent process reads data from the read end of the pipe, while the child process writes data to the write end of the pipe.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the os.pipe()
method is a useful method for creating a pipe for inter-process communication. By creating a pipe and using the read()
and write()
methods to send data between processes, we can achieve inter-process communication in Python. This method is essential in many cases where multiple independent processes need to communicate with each other.