Python | os.pipe() method

OS module in Python provides functions for interacting with the operating system. OS comes under Python’s standard utility modules. This module provides a portable way of using operating system dependent functionality.

All functions in os module raise OSError in the case of invalid or inaccessible file names and paths, or other arguments that have the correct type but are not accepted by the operating system.

os.pipe() method in Python is used to create a pipe. A pipe is a method to pass information from one process to another process. It offers only one-way communication and the passed information is held by the system until it is read by the receiving process.

Syntax: os.pipe()

Parameter: No parameter is required

Return Type: This method returns a pair of file descriptors (r, w) usable for reading and writing, respectively.

Code: Use of os.pipe() method

# Python program to explain os.pipe() method

# importing os module
import os


# Create a pipe
r, w = os.pipe()

# The returned file descriptor r and w
# can be used for reading and
# writing respectively.

# We will create a child process
# and using these file descriptor
# the parent process will write
# some text and child process will
# read the text written by the parent process

# Create a child process
pid = os.fork()

# pid greater than 0 represents
# the parent process
if pid > 0:

    # This is the parent process
    # Closes file descriptor r
    os.close(r)

    # Write some text to file descriptor w
    print("Parent process is writing")
    text = b"Hello child process"
    os.write(w, text)
    print("Written text:", text.decode())


else:

    # This is the parent process
    # Closes file descriptor w
    os.close(w)

    # Read the text written by parent process
    print("\nChild Process is reading")
    r = os.fdopen(r)
    print("Read text:", r.read())

Output:

Parent process is writing
Text written: Hello child process

Child Process is reading
Text read: Hello child process