TCPIPSender

Sends raw data to the specified host, which may be another FME workspace running in a different process, (located on the same machine or on a different machine), or any client application that communicates over TCP/IP.

To transport data from one FME process to another: use the TCPIPSender transformer in the source FME workspace to send data to a TCPIPReceiver transformer in the receiving FME workspace.

Note Can be used in conjunction with TCPIPReceiver.

Usage Notes

To set up a data stream between two FME workspaces using the TCPIPReceiver and TCPIPSender transformers:
- One workspace is the designated "establisher" of the transport stream. If there are multiple transport streams between workspaces, one workspace must be the establisher of all the streams, and the other will connect to those transport streams. This is regardless of whether the individual transporters are sending or receiving data.
- The establishing workspace must be started before the workspace that is connecting. A TCPIPReceiver/TCPIPSender cannot successfully connect to a transport stream that is not already established.
- For each transport channel, there must be a different port that is used for each server machine.

Configuration

Input Ports

Output Ports

This transformer has no output ports.

Parameters

General

Initiation Sequence	The Initiation Sequence specifies whether the transformer is responsible for establishing the connection (Establish), and or connecting to an establishing host (Connect). If the TCPIPReceiver is used with a corresponding TCPIPSender, either the sender or receiver can be the establisher. Note The workspace that establishes the connection must be running before the connecting workspace.
Establishing Host	This parameter is only needed by the workspace with the Initiation Sequence parameter set to Connect, and only when the workspaces are running on different machines.
Port or Service to Use	Specify either a port number or a service (for example, http, ftp, telnet, imap, gopher, pop3, www, and smtp are services that are typically associated with well-known port numbers). The default value is 8586.
Attribute to Stream	Specify the attribute containing values to send.
Send Data Length	If this parameter is set to Yes, then the TCPIPSender will transmit the size of each data transmission (in bytes) before sending the data payload. For example, if the TCPIPSender was sending the data “1234”, it would first transmit a value of “4” to let the receiver know to expect 4 bytes, and then transmit the data itself. If this parameter is set to No, then the TCPIPSender will just transmit the given data.

Editing Transformer Parameters

Using a set of menu options, transformer parameters can be assigned by referencing other elements in the workspace. More advanced functions, such as an advanced editor and an arithmetic editor, are also available in some transformers. To access a menu of these options, click beside the applicable parameter. For more information, see Transformer Parameter Menu Options.

Defining Values

There are several ways to define a value for use in a Transformer. The simplest is to simply type in a value or string, which can include functions of various types such as attribute references, math and string functions, and workspace parameters. There are a number of tools and shortcuts that can assist in constructing values, generally available from the drop-down context menu adjacent to the value field.

How to Set Parameter Values

Using the Text Editor

The Text Editor provides a convenient way to construct text strings (including regular expressions) from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and constants, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Text Editor

Using the Arithmetic Editor

The Arithmetic Editor provides a convenient way to construct math expressions from various data sources, such as attributes, parameters, and feature functions, where the result is used directly inside a parameter.

Arithmetic Editor

Conditional Values

Set values depending on one or more test conditions that either pass or fail.

Parameter Condition Definition Dialog

Content

Expressions and strings can include a number of functions, characters, parameters, and more.

When setting values - whether entered directly in a parameter or constructed using one of the editors - strings and expressions containing String, Math, Date/Time or FME Feature Functions will have those functions evaluated. Therefore, the names of these functions (in the form @<function_name>) should not be used as literal string values.

Content Types

String Functions	These functions manipulate and format strings.
Special Characters	A set of control characters is available in the Text Editor.
Math Functions	Math functions are available in both editors.
Date/Time Functions	Date and time functions are available in the Text Editor.
Math Operators	These operators are available in the Arithmetic Editor.
FME Feature Functions	These return primarily feature-specific values.
FME Parameters	FME and workspace-specific parameters may be used.
Creating and Modifying User Parameters	Create your own editable parameters.

Dialog Options - Tables

Transformers with table-style parameters have additional tools for populating and manipulating values.

Table Tools

Row Reordering

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

Add a row
Remove a row
Move current row up one
Move current row down one
Move current row to top
Move current row to bottom

Cut, Copy, and Paste

Enabled once you have clicked on a row item. Choices include:

Cut a row - delete and copy to clipboard
Copy a row to the clipboard
Paste a row from the clipboard

Cut, copy, and paste may be used within a transformer, or between transformers.

Filter

Start typing a string, and the matrix will only display rows matching those characters. Searches all columns. This only affects the display of attributes within the transformer - it does not alter which attributes are output.

Import

Import populates the table with a set of new attributes read from a dataset. Specific application varies between transformers.

Reset/Refresh

Generally resets the table to its initial state, and may provide additional options to remove invalid entries. Behavior varies between transformers.

Note: Not all tools are available in all transformers.

FME Community

The FME Community is the place for demos, how-tos, articles, FAQs, and more. Get answers to your questions, learn from other users, and suggest, vote, and comment on new features.

Search for all results about the TCPIPSender on the FME Community.