Part I: Introduction to Sockets Programming

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Chapter List

Chapter 1: Networking Overview

Chapter 2: Introduction to Sockets Programming

Chapter 3: Standard BSD API Functions

Chapter 4: Advanced Sockets Functions

Chapter 5: Socket Options

Chapter 6: Advanced Sockets Programming Topics

Chapter 7: Optimizing Sockets Applications

Chapter 8: Sockets Programming Pitfalls

The first part of this book is devoted to Sockets programming using the BSD Sockets API. The standard BSD API is covered in a detailed fashion-covering not only the functions provided, but also behavioral consequences largely ignored by most developers.

The C language is used to discuss Sockets programming in Part I, primarily because it's a very common language and one that most developers understand. The reader is assumed to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of the C language.

Additional topics covered in Part I of this book include a detailed discussion of socket options, common pitfalls suffered by many developers, and optimizations that can be employed to make Sockets programming more efficient.

Part II of this book covers the Sockets API from a multilanguage perspective, using Part I as the platform from which we move forward. A number of current languages are discussed, including Ruby, Perl, Python, and Tcl.

Finally, in Part III, we examine a number of code patterns that illustrate how to develop specific kinds of network applications within the languages covered in Part II. These patterns include stream, datagram, broadcast, and multicast clients and servers. Protocol specific applications are also discussed, including a simple HTTP server and an SMTP client.

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