4.6.5 MP links
MP (Multi Protocol) links give the possibility to store and communicate
data in the binary MP format: Read and write access is very fast
compared to ASCII links. MP links can be established using files (link
type is MPfile) or using TCP sockets (link type is
MPtcp). All data (including such data that cannot be converted
to a string) can be written to an MP link. For ring-dependent data, a
ring description is written together with the data. Reading from an MP
link returns an expression (not a string) which was evaluated after the
read operation. If the expression read from an MP link is not from the
same ring as the current ring, then a read changes the current
ring.
Currently, MP links are only available on Unix platforms and data is
written without attributes (which is likely to change in future
versions). For a general description of MP, see
http://symbolicnet.mcs.kent.edu/areas/mp.html.
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