How to correctly use the NetworkDiscovery broadcastData?

Hello,

I'm using Unity's NetworkDiscovery for clients to find the host on the same network.
The only problem I'm having is with receiving the broadcastData properly.

I set the broadcastData like this:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2.     public void NDstart()
3.     {
4.         GameObject.Find("broadcaster").GetComponent<NetworkDiscovery>().broadcastData = "the data i want to send";
5.         GameObject.Find("broadcaster").GetComponent<NetworkDiscovery>().StartAsServer();
6.     }
7.  
8.  

But I don't know to use the byte array I'm getting returned at the client with this method:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2.  
3.  foreach (KeyValuePair<string, NetworkBroadcastResult> s in GameObject.Find("broadcaster").GetComponent<NetworkDiscovery>().broadcastsReceived)
4.             {
5.                 if (s.Value.serverAddress != null)
6.                 {
7.                     ipAndName toadd; //ipAndName is a struct with an ip and name
8.                     toadd.ip = s.Value.serverAddress.Replace("::ffff:", ""); // serverAddress gives em the proper IP.
9.  
10.                     toadd.name =  s.Value.broadcastData.ToString();  
11.                    
12.                     hosts.Add(toadd);
13.                 }
14.             }
15.  
16.  

This piece return a byte array and I don't know how to convert it to the original string: "the data i want to send"

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. s.Value.broadcastData
3.  

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I was surprised that this is a string on one end and a byte array on the other. I'm not sure how this is intended to be used, but the following seems to work for converting it back to a string:

Code (CSharp):

1. string broadcastData = System.Text.Encoding.Unicode.GetString(broadcastReceived.Value.broadcastData);

Disclaimer: Posting is my personal opinion, not that of my employer (Microsoft), provided "AS IS" with no warranties.

 

I came across a similar problem. The broadcast data when received by overloading OnReceivedBroadcast comes through with 512 spaces in a byte array. (my language is perhaps wrong here, but basically if you run ?Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(data);

You will see a Byte[512], with 0 after the last ASCII chr

System.Byte[512]
[0]: 66
[1]: 65
[2]: 84
[3]: 114
[4]: 97
[5]: 105
[6]: 110
[7]: 105
[8]: 110
[9]: 103
[10]: 0
[11]: 0



This is my crude work around, but if anyone knows a better way I would love to know:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2.  
3.   public override void OnReceivedBroadcast(string fromAddress, string data)
4.     {
5.  
6.         byte[] asciiBytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(data);
7.         // look for the 1st zero
8.         int endOfByte = 0;
9.         foreach (var item in asciiBytes)
10.         {
11.             if (item == 0)
12.             {
13.                 break;
14.             }
15.             endOfByte++;
16.         }
17.         string broadcastData = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetString(asciiBytes,0, endOfByte);
18.         if (broadcastData == "StringYouExpect")
19.         {
20. // action a connection - you will also need some logic around this to stop it being called multiple times
21.         }
22.  
23.  
24. }
25.  
26.