Cross-Language Support#
Cross-Language Zero-Copy Communication#
The core of iceoryx2 is written in Rust, providing a robust foundation for
zero-copy inter-process communication. An FFI (Foreign Function Interface)
layer provides API bindings that enable integration with other programming
languages.
This architecture enables applications written in different languages to
communicate with each other through iceoryx2’s shared memory system.
Communication works seamlessly as long as the payload type can be identified
and its memory layout can be interpreted consistently by both the sending and
receiving applications.
Relocatable Data Types#
Ensuring consistent memory layout interpretation across different programming languages can be challenging. Languages may have different padding rules, alignment requirements, or data type size assumptions that can lead to data corruption or misinterpretation when sharing memory directly.
For primitive data types, the complexity can be manageable, but can become challenging when structuring more complex data. Different languages could handle composite types, arrays, and nested structures in incompatible ways, making direct memory sharing more difficult.
To address these challenges, a collection of generic cross-language compatible data structures called “relocatable data types” are currently in development. These structures will provide standardized, safe primitives and containers specifically designed for cross-language communication via shared memory to tackle the complexity of manual memory layout management.
Further Reading#
See how to send up cross-language publish-subscribe from a Rust application.
See how to send up cross-language publish-subscribe from a C++ application.
See how to send up cross-language publish-subscribe from a Python application.