The protocol-independent interface is a set of classes that encompass most of the features of VR-Link and allow you to create applications that will work in both DIS and HLA without significant modification.

In addition to its multi-protocol capability, and perhaps more importantly, the protocol-independent interface shields you from many of the intricacies of the underlying protocol-specific classes and functions. At the same time, the protocol-specific classes are available to you if you want to use them.

When you create a protocol-independent application, you do not create one executable that works with both protocols; you write one application and compile it for each protocol by specifying the protocol at compile time. In cases where a class uses different constructors or functions depending on the protocol, such as creating an exercise connection, you need to use #ifdef(s) so that your application compiles using the correct constructors.

[Home] [Connecting to Exercises >>]