How to rebuild a struct from bytes after transfer [C#]
<p>I am using Named Pipes to transfer data from a client (C++) to a server (C#), the client does the following:</p>

<pre><code>// C++ Client sending message
struct MESSAGE
   {
   char    cCommand[8];
   string  sParameter;
   };

MESSAGE msg;
strcpy(msg.cCommand, "COMMAND");
strcpy(msg.sParameter, "DO SOMETHING");

DWORD dwWrote = 0;
WriteFile (hpipe, &amp;msg, sizeof(msg), dwWrote, NULL);


// Then, at the receiving end the C# server recieve message:
IntPtr chRequest;
bool fSuccess = ReadFile(hPipeInst, chRequest, uSize, cbRead, OverlappedPtr);
if (fSuccess)
        byte[] temp = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(Marshal.PtrToStringAnsi(chRequest));
</code></pre>

<p>Now, at the receiving end, I need to transform the temp (byte[]) back into the STRUCT or something equivalent so I can access the members cCommand and sPatameter - but at this point I have no clue how to proceed... In reality doesn't need to be a struct, I just need to extract the data itself.</p>

<p>Note - the STRUCT MESSAGE is something I came up with, meaning that it can be changed if a different format would be helpful in the reconstruction (add the length of sParameter for example?), I just need a COMMAND and PARAMETER to be transfered in a single block (if possible).</p>

<p>Requirements are simple:
- COMMAND is a fixed-length 8-characters long string that indicates what action needs to be performed
- PARAMETER is a variable-length (unless this causes issues) parameter dependant on each COMMAND</p>

<p>For example:
COMMAND = TRANS</p>

<p>PARAMETER = C:\FILE.txt C:\NewFolder\FILE.TXT</p>

<p>(this is just to illustrate, there are a lot more applications)</p>

<p>If possible I would like to extract it as a chunk of data (byte[]) and then pass it along to my application where it could be decomposed, not a fan of reading in the size, then a field, then a size, then a field - that requires that my Communication be overly linked with my implementation.</p>

<p>If there is a more suitable way to implement this transfer please let me know... advice would be welcome...
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks,</p>
