PowerTCP Winsock Tool

These easy-to-use ActiveX Controls provide the building blocks you need for basic Internet application development. Superior buffer management, the use of variants supporting String and Byte-array data, and optional blocking use makes this tool exceptionally complete and versatile.

• TCP Control
  Use to implement any upper-layer protocol that is based on a TCP data stream.
• Daemon Control
  Use to build a server. Can accept an unlimited number of connections that can be assigned to dynamic TCP Controls for stream management. (Check out the Server Tool for a turn-key Server Control that makes server applications even easier to write!)
• UDP Control
  Use to send and receive User, Multicast, and raw IP Datagrams. Broadcast operation is supported.
• Ping Control
  Send and receive ICMP echo (Ping) messages. Dynamically discover if a host is reachable.
• DNS Control
  Send and receive Domain Name Server messages. Forward lookup, reverse lookup, and mail server lookup is supported.
• RAS Control
  Use to establish a Remote Access Server (RAS) connection to a remote communications server.

Benefits & Features

• TCP Search Method supports variable length records and line processing, eliminating the need to search for termination characters and simplifying buffer management.
• TCP Fill Method supports fixed length binary records, simplifying buffer management and reducing the code needed to send and receive binary structures.
• UDP supports raw datagrams, providing the ability to access advanced protocols like ICMP.
• UDP supports multicast datagrams, allowing you to send and receive streaming protocols, and to easily construct chat programs.
• RAS can be invisible or visible, simplifying user configuration.
• DNS Control bypasses Winsock system services, so you can query ANY Domain Name Server on the Internet.
• Ping Control will confirm the presence of any host on the Internet, even if hosted server applications are not responding!
• Controls can operate on separate threads, so Server Applications can be written using apartment model multi-threading features.
• All the benefits listed in the PowerTCP Overview.

PowerTCP Overview

These quality tools represent state-of-the-art component design. Our customers deserve nothing less:

• Components are "lean and mean" ActiveX (ATL) controls and simple COM objects with no dependence on large run-time DLLs.
• All tools include and use an unlicensed DartStream Object that simplifies and improves file-access performance (especially under VB).
• Most controls are invisible -- perfect for B2B applications.
• Controls can be placed on forms OR dynamically instantiated, making them perfect for form-based environments like Visual Basic AND formless environments like ASP (Active Server Pages).
• Dependency (.dep) files are included for all controls, fully supporting Microsoft's Package & Deployment Wizard.

Blocking behavior is optional, so applications can be written using blocking or non-blocking operation. Scripting languages like VB Script and Java Script are fully supported. Perfect for ASP (Active Server Pages)!

• Apartment Model Threading provides multi-thread support for the most demanding applications.
• Advanced Programming Object Model speeds development -- collection properties provide superior list handling, formatting objects make it easier to manipulate complex structures (like MIME and SNMP messages), and the use of enumerated types and objects makes your job as simple as it should be.
• Debugging support is built in, simplifying interoperability trouble-shooting.

Sample Projects included for VB 5/6, Visual C++, Delphi, C++Builder and PowerBuilder

• Web Server -- a simple multi-threaded VB application serves up web pages.
• TCP Client -- shows non-blocking interactive operation.
• TCP Blaster -- shows blocking interactive operation.
• UDP Client -- shows how to build an interactive "chat" utility.
• RAS Client -- shows dial-up operation.
• Ping Client -- ping any host on your network.
• DNS Client -- demonstrates interaction with any Domain Name Server.
• WebAlive -- compares the performance of 2 web servers (VB only).
• Chat Client -- uses a simple protocol and multicast datagrams to join chat sessions.

Potential Uses/Applications

• Build a personal stock quote application.
• Create a multi-threaded server.
• Write a custom client/server protocol.
• Create dynamic pages using a TCP Control on a Cold Fusion server.
• Inter-process communications.
• Build an lpd print server.
• Use ping to continually check status of company network devices.
• Broadcast UDP packets to check for software licensing.
• Create a chat program using multicast capabilities.

Compatibilities

• Development Environments: Visual Studio, Office 97 (VBA), C++Builder, Delphi, PowerBuilder and other environments that supports ActiveX (ATL) controls.
• Operating Systems: Windows 95/98, NT4, NT 2000.

Customer Feedback

• "The Dart Winsock Tool is exactly what I was looking for to develop our high-performance, multi-threaded TCP server. I've downloaded the tool, reviewed the Web server example, and found it to be very intuitive. We're excited about proceeding with our prototype using Winsock Tool. The tool looks great and, I must say, your tech support has been first rate. Thank you very much."
  Paulo Villela
• "The RAS component from Dart has worked each and every time WITHOUT FAIL. When there is a problem connecting to our ISP, the error messages and error codes are crystal clear and lead us to a quick solution ... thanks to everyone involved at Dart for providing us with a trouble free RAS component."
  Larry Bauder
  National Money Mart