async await - How do you use C# NetworkStream ReadAsync() to only grab stuff between stx and etx? -

i'm trying build new application communicates finished application on tcp/ip. 2 applications pass messages , forth between each other. here of server code new application reads stuff in finished application:

public class asyncservice {     private ipaddress ipaddress;     private int port;     char[] stx = new char[] { '' };     char[] etx = new char[] { '' };     networkstream networkstream;     tcpclient tcpclient;     private byte[] rawbuffer;      private static readonly int rawbuffersize = 2024;      public asyncservice(int port)     {         this.port = port;         string hostname = dns.gethostname();         iphostentry iphostinfo = dns.gethostentry(hostname);         rawbuffer = new byte[rawbuffersize];         this.ipaddress = ipaddress.any;         if (this.ipaddress == null)         {             throw new exception("no ipv4 address server");         }     }      public async void run()     {         tcplistener listener = new tcplistener(this.ipaddress, this.port);         listener.start();         while (true)         {             try             {                 tcpclient = await listener.accepttcpclientasync();                 networkstream = tcpclient.getstream();                 doreadasync(rawbuffer);             }             catch (exception ex)             {                 debug.writeline(ex.message);             }         }     }      private void doreadasync(byte[] bytebuffer)     {         task<int> t = networkstream.readasync(bytebuffer, 0, bytebuffer.length);         t.continuewith((task, bytes) => onreadcompleted((byte[])bytes, task.result), bytebuffer, taskcontinuationoptions.onlyonrantocompletion);     }      private void onreadcompleted(byte[] bytebuffer, int length)     {         if (length == 0)         {             return;         }          string message = asciiencoding.ascii.getstring(bytebuffer);          //...          array.clear(bytebuffer, 0, bytebuffer.length);         doreadasync(bytebuffer);     } 

every message sent preceded stx character , ended etx character. problem there times when new application receives more 1 message @ time. example, might receive message this:

[stx]123456789[etx][stx]10111213141516171819[etx]

i want make code read until hit etx character. thus, want above example 2 messages don't know how readasync(). know how can this?

you have 2 choices. read whole stream string , parse it, or parse stream on fly reading byte byte , stopping when reach "magic" combo of bytes. personally, if datastream not massive option 1 easier achieve hth