Connected Mailbox

A simple, multi-threaded TCP message queue server written in Rust. This project demonstrates a basic implementation of a publish-retrieve message system using a shared in-memory queue.

Project Structure

The workspace consists of two main components:

• tcp-server: The main application that runs a TCP server on 127.0.0.1:8080. It handles concurrent client connections and manages the shared message queue.
• simpleDB: A library crate responsible for parsing commands (PUBLISH, RETRIEVE) and handling protocol logic.

Features

• Multi-threaded Server: Handles multiple client connections simultaneously using std::thread.
• In-Memory Queue: Messages are stored in a thread-safe Vec protected by a Mutex.
• Simple Protocol: Text-based protocol for easy interaction.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Rust (latest stable version)

Building the Project

To build the entire workspace:

cargo build

Running the Server

To start the TCP server:

cargo run -p tcp-server

The server will start listening on 127.0.0.1:8080.

Usage

You can interact with the server using tools like netcat (nc) or telnet.

Commands

1. PUBLISH

   • Syntax: PUBLISH <message>
   • Description: Adds a message to the queue.
   • Example:

     PUBLISH Hello World
     

2. RETRIEVE

   • Syntax: RETRIEVE
   • Description: Removes and returns the last message from the queue (LIFO).
   • Example:

     RETRIEVE
     

Example Session

Terminal 1 (Server):

cargo run -p tcp-server

Terminal 2 (Client):

$ nc localhost 8080
PUBLISH First Message
PUBLISH Second Message
RETRIEVE
Second Message/n
RETRIEVE
First Message/n

Development

To run the tests for the simpleDB library:

cargo test -p simple_db