xpc(3)                   BSD Library Functions Manual                   xpc(3)

NAME
     xpc -- a structured, asynchronous interprocess communication library

SYNOPSIS
     #include <xpc/xpc.h>

DESCRIPTION
     The XPC framework facilitates interprocess communication using structured
     messages. Messages are structured using property list style objects such
     as dictionaries, arrays, strings, integers and UUIDs. Out-of-line types
     such as file descriptors and shared memory regions are also supported.
     The root object of each message is a dictionary.

     Messages are sent via connections created using xpc_connection_create(3)
     and xpc_connection_create_mach_service(3).

     XPC significantly leverages the on-demand process management features of
     launchd(8) to provide transparent process life-cycle management.  As
     such, clients of the XPC framework have little to no responsibility for
     managing their corresponding service processes.

     Consequently, there is no facility in XPC to directly query the execution
     status of a service. XPC services are simply made available when they are
     needed, so clients needn't be concerned with remote process state.

     Dynamic service registrations (ala bootstrap_register(),
     bootstrap_create_service() and bootstrap_create_server()) are also pur-
     posefully disallowed.

     XPC's integration with launchd(8) also extends to being able to launch
     jobs on-demand with higher-level events than have been historically
     available. Using XPC and launchd together, jobs can be launched based on
     events in IOKit or the posting of BSD Notifications.

SEE ALSO
     xpc_object(3), xpc_main(3), xpc_connection_create(3),
     xpc_connection_create_mach_service(3), xpc_dictionary_create(3),
     xpc_array_create(3), xpc_objects(3), xpc_events(3), xpc_abort(3),
     xpcproxy(8), notify(3), launchd(8)

Darwin                           1 July, 2011                           Darwin