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The SocketTools ActiveX controls can be used in a wide variety of
programming languages, including Visual Basic 6.0, Visual Basic .NET,
Visual C++ and Visual C#, as well as C++ Builder, Delphi, Visual FoxPro
and a variety of other development environments. Any language which is
capable of using ActiveX controls and/or COM objects can take advantage
of the SocketTools ActiveX Edition.
Features of the SocketTools ActiveX Edition include:
- The ActiveX controls provide a simple interface that is easy to
use and understand. There are no complicated function calls, and most
methods support optional arguments that only need to be specified if
required by the application. Most complex operations can be performed
with only a few lines of code.
- There are no external dependencies on third party libraries or
components, and each ActiveX component is completely self-contained.
We do not require that you redistribute large shared libraries like
the Microsoft Foundation Classes or Visual C++ runtime libraries. Not
only does this make redistribution of your software easier, it can
reduce the overall footprint for applications which do not need to
use these libraries themselves.
- The controls provide broad-based compatibility with a variety of
programming languages, including scripting languages such as
VBScript. Methods and events are designed to use variant data types
to ensure a high degree of compatibility with all development
tools.
- A comprehensive design which supports both high-level operations
as well as lower-level methods at the protocol level. For example,
the File Transfer Protocol component has methods such as PutFile and
GetFile which allow an application to easily upload and download
files in a single method call. It also includes lower-level methods
like OpenFile to open a file on the server and access it in a
fashion similar to traditional file I/O operations.
- Support for both synchronous (blocking) and asynchronous
(non-blocking) operation depending on the needs of the application.
Asynchronous operation is supported by an event-driven model where
the application is notified of networking events by events generated
by the component. Event notification can be enabled, disabled and
resumed completely under the control of the application, giving
developers complete freedom in controlling their behavior of their
software. Synchronous operation is also fully supported, enabling
developers to easily write programs using a procedural programming
style without the inherent complexity of an event-driven model.
- The ActiveX Edition enables applications to take advantage
of complex security features, such as support for the Secure Sockets
Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) standards and up to
256-bit encryption without requiring any knowledge of data encryption
or certificate validation. The components use the Windows CryptoAPI
to provide security services, which means that there are no
third-party security libraries that must be installed by your users.
Taking advantage of the security features in the SocketTools ActiveX
Edition is as simple as setting a few properties before connecting to
the server. The protocol negotiation, data encryption and decryption
is handled transparently by the control. From the perspective of the
application developer, it is just as if it were a standard connection
to the server.
The SocketTools ActiveX Edition includes everything professional
software developers need to create complex programs that take advantage
of the standard Internet protocols, enabling developers to focus on
their core application technology rather than the details of how a
particular protocol is implemented or understanding the specifics of
Windows Sockets programming.
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