Hi,
I am trying to learn winsock programming using online tutorials. This example is from the MSDN library, although modified. I have compiled it and it seems to be working fine for only one request. After handling a single request the server exits. I have read handling multiple request and making the server persistent can be done through threads, but have no idea how do so and no helpful examples found over the internet. Please help.

#undef UNICODE

#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN

#include <windows.h>
#include <winsock2.h>
#include <ws2tcpip.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>

// Need to link with Ws2_32.lib
#pragma comment (lib, "Ws2_32.lib")
// #pragma comment (lib, "Mswsock.lib")

#define DEFAULT_BUFLEN 4096
#define DEFAULT_PORT "27015"
char recvbuf[DEFAULT_BUFLEN];

void handleBuffer()
{
    recvbuf[DEFAULT_BUFLEN-1]='\0';
    printf("\n************The server has received the following request***************\n");
    printf("%s",recvbuf);
}

int __cdecl main(void)
{
    WSADATA wsaData;
    SOCKET ListenSocket = INVALID_SOCKET,
           ClientSocket = INVALID_SOCKET;
    struct addrinfo *result = NULL,hints;
    char* sendbuf = "HTTP/1.0 200 OK\r\nServer: Test\r\nContent-Type: text/HTML\r\n\r\n<html><title>Test Server</title><body><span style=\"color:#2032DC; font-family:arial; font-size:large; position:absolute; left:4%;\">This is test server responding.</span></body></html>";
    int iResult, iSendResult;
    int recvbuflen = DEFAULT_BUFLEN;
    char e;

    // Initialize Winsock
    iResult = WSAStartup(MAKEWORD(2,2), &wsaData);
    if (iResult != 0) {
        printf("WSAStartup failed with error: %d\n", iResult);
        return 1;
    }
    else
        printf("\nInitialising winsock...done");

    ZeroMemory(&hints, sizeof(hints));
    hints.ai_family = AF_INET;
    hints.ai_socktype = SOCK_STREAM;
    hints.ai_protocol = IPPROTO_TCP;
    hints.ai_flags = AI_PASSIVE;
    printf("\n");

    // Resolve the server address and port
    iResult = getaddrinfo(NULL, DEFAULT_PORT, &hints, &result);
    if ( iResult != 0 ) {
        printf("getaddrinfo failed with error: %d\n", iResult);
        WSACleanup();
        return 1;
    }
    else
        printf("\nResolving server address...done");
    //localhost:27015/
    // Create a SOCKET for connecting to server

    ListenSocket = socket(result->ai_family, result->ai_socktype, result->ai_protocol);
    if (ListenSocket == INVALID_SOCKET) {
        printf("socket failed with error: %ld\n", WSAGetLastError());
        freeaddrinfo(result);
        WSACleanup();
        return 1;
    }
    else
        printf("\nCreating connection socket...done");

    // Setup the TCP listening socket
    iResult = bind( ListenSocket, result->ai_addr, (int)result->ai_addrlen);
    if (iResult == SOCKET_ERROR) {
        printf("bind failed with error: %d\n", WSAGetLastError());
        freeaddrinfo(result);
        closesocket(ListenSocket);
        WSACleanup();
        return 1;
    }
    else
        printf("\nCreating listening socket...done");
        printf("\nWaiting for connection... ");

    freeaddrinfo(result);

    iResult = listen(ListenSocket, SOMAXCONN);

    if (iResult == SOCKET_ERROR) {
        printf("listen failed with error: %d\n", WSAGetLastError());
        closesocket(ListenSocket);
        WSACleanup();
        return 1;
    }

        // Accept a client socket
        ClientSocket = accept(ListenSocket, NULL, NULL);
        if (ClientSocket == INVALID_SOCKET) {
            printf("accept failed with error: %d\n", WSAGetLastError());
            closesocket(ListenSocket);
            WSACleanup();
            return 1;
        }

        // No longer need server socket
        closesocket(ListenSocket);

        iResult = recv(ClientSocket, recvbuf, recvbuflen,0);
        if (iResult > 0)
        {
            printf("Bytes received: %d\n", iResult);
        }
        else if (iResult == 0)
            printf("Connection closing...\n");
        else
        {
            printf("recv failed with error: %d\n", WSAGetLastError());
            closesocket(ClientSocket);
            WSACleanup();
            return 1;
        }


        iSendResult = send(ClientSocket,sendbuf,(int)strlen(sendbuf), 0 );
            if (iSendResult == SOCKET_ERROR)
            {
                printf("send failed with error: %d\n", WSAGetLastError());
                closesocket(ClientSocket);
                WSACleanup();
                return 1;
            }
        printf("Bytes sent: %d\n", iSendResult);
        handleBuffer();

        // shutdown the connection since we're done
        iResult = shutdown(ClientSocket, SD_SEND);
        if (iResult == SOCKET_ERROR) {
            printf("shutdown failed with error: %d\n", WSAGetLastError());
            closesocket(ClientSocket);
            WSACleanup();
            return 1;
        }
    // cleanup
    closesocket(ClientSocket);
    WSACleanup();
    printf("\n\nPress any key to quit.");

    getch();
    return 0;
}

For MS-Windows operating systems you want to write a Windows Service program The first few google links will tell you how to do that.

I guess you are interpreting my questing wrong. I want the server to be persistent in code, currently, after servicing one request the server reaches EXIT_SUCCESS and shuts off. I want to modify the code, so that the server may keep listening for new or repeat connections even after one request has been serviced and not shut down. Some guessed placement of while loops did not help. I guess threads could be the day saver for me.

Still waiting!

>>Some guessed placement of while loops did not help.

Then you did it wrong. Go back and try it again.

start of infinite loop
   listen for connection
   create thread to service connection
   back to beginning of loop
end of loop
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