Winsock

This product supports the Windows Sockets 1.1 interface, commonly known as Winsock. This interface consists of a library of API routines that reside in the file WINSOCK.DLL. Knowledgeable programmers can use these routines to create network applications that make use of Windows sockets.

Note: This product supports a maximum of 512 open sockets.

Note: This implementation of Windows Sockets uses the default Windows socket FD_SETSIZE as it appears in the WINSOCK.H file.

Click on a topic below for additional information:

Finding the Winsock Files you Need

Debugging a Windows Socket Application


Finding the Winsock Files You Need

You need certain Windows sockets files in order to create and run Winsock applications. These files are included on this SolarNet product's media. Files required for application development are not installed during the course of normal SolarNet product installation. The files required to run a Winsock application are installed as part of normal product installation.

If you plan to develop a Winsock application, copy the Windows sockets files from the directory /winsock, (located on diskette 7 of the installation media) into a directory such as \PRO\WINSOCK. The files you need for Winsock application development are:

•	winsock.h

•	winsock.lib

•	winsock.hlp

To learn more about Windows Sockets, review the Windows Socket 1.1 specification. A text file of this specification is located in the /winsock directory (located on diskette 7 of the installation media).

The files you need to run a Windows sockets application are:

•	WINSOCK.DLL

•	WINSOCKD.EXE

These files are installed during SolarNet product installation and are automatically loaded upon the first software call to WSAStartup(). They remain loaded until all Windows sockets applications have exited and the user closes the Winsock icon.


Debugging Socket Applications

To display debugging information concerning sockets:

1.	Choose Enable Logging in the Winsock icon's control menu.

This menu item changes to Disable Logging.

2.	Start the Network Event Log by double-clicking its icon.

Error output from Winsock is logged to the Network Event Log, and displayed according to the message and error levels you've configured in the Network Event Log.


API

Application Program Interface -- A standard way of connecting the underlying functions of a commercial software product to a third-party application.


Socket

Similar to a port. A software connection through which an application communicates with the outside world.