A tool designed as a functional reference of existing TCP/IP socket assignments for developers who are building Internet or Intranet software and need to assign their own sockets.

General Information
A Note for Visual Basic programmers
Registration
Disclaimer
Import and Export Specifications

General Information: This program actually started as a part of something else I am working on, as a means to maintain a database of currently assigned Winsock ports so that I can select one or two not currently being used for another "work-in-progress" project.

It initially had evolved into an exercise to test some minor pending performance and code output updates in the Urthman's MDB Code Generator software package, and subsequently into a tool that can be used to help in the maintenance of any given networks \etc\services (or /etc/services) file associated with the TCP/IP network configuration.

This program contains a database compiled from numerous sources dealing with assigned TCP and UDP ports, including their service names (or keywords), available aliases and descriptions. The most noteworthy data source used is the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) who provide the public domain RFC documents used by (and included with) this program package.

The initial database is created from RFC-1060, RFC-1700, the Unix® standards detailed in RFC-1060 and the native SERVICES file found on the Microsoft Windows® 9x or NT machine you decide to run the program on.

The general features of this program include:

• Searching by port, name and alias
  Search (listing) for unassigned port numbers.

• Listing names by port number.
  Listing names by port number including Aliases.
  Listing aliases by port number.

• Import SERVICES compatible file assigned to one or more categories.
  Import SERVICES compatible file for the purpose of deleting one or more categorical references.
  Exporting SERVICES compatible file with or without aliases (and other options).

• Edit Names and Aliases / Descriptions and References.

The unassigned port number search lists will identify 100 unused port numbers starting from the search value you enter. From this list, you can designate and define and keep track of your own port assignment for your own software and internal projects.

Each port/protocol record is categorized by 6 standardized and 10 user definable classifications.

A Note for Visual Basic Programmers: The database generated and maintained by this program can be accessed in your own software using a Visual Basic code module included with this software package, and a project reference to the Microsoft DAO 2.5/3.5 Compatibility, or DAO 3.5x Object Library.

Code module: mdbPorts.bas

The database can be found in a folder named 'SRC' inside the original program folder. The main table (Ports) includes a field (User) that you can populate with your own data as you see fit without any adverse effects on the performance of this software package. Please refer to the above mentioned code module for more detailed information.

Registration: None. This program has been designated freeware or public domain software.

If you feel that this program has merit and is useful for your purposes or to your company or organization, please send no more than ten dollars ($10 US) in a "Thank You" card as an appreciative gesture to John Stanley Enterprises at the address below to encourage the Urthman to create more software like this.

Note: If you happen to become aware of any registered, official or standardized (and accepted) port assignments not in the initial database that (maybe) should be included, please send me the pertinent information via email so that I can keep the database current. (I haven't been able to find any Novell® or Linux reference files at the time of this release.)

Update files can and will be made available on our web site, the Urthman's Visual Basic Tool Shed, accompanied by the release date and any other information that might be noteworthy.

Disclaimer: The files exported from this database program might be suitable for use as an /etc/services file, however the author of this software makes no claims to the effect that this tool is suitable for any such purpose. This software was built primarily as an exercise and the resulting output from this program should be carefully scrutinized by a qualified and responsible party before attempting to implement it's data to any critical application.

Note: All of the database management portion of this software was built using Urthman's MDB Code Generator.