Understanding Socket Types

SourcePro : Essential Networking Module User’s Guide : PART II The Networking Package : Socket Addresses : Using Socket Types : Understanding Socket Types

A socket’s type has three components:

Family

A socket family indicates which protocol and address family is used with this socket. The family may be represented with either an integer constant or a string. A sample family and the associated integer and string identifiers are shown below.

Family	Integer identifier	String identifier
Internet	AF_INET	“inet”

The only family fully implemented in the Networking package is the Internet protocol family. However, you can add your own address families.

Type

The communication semantics of the channel are indicated through an integer type, as shown below. The Networking package does not support all types.

Type	Integer identifier	String identifier
Datagram socket	SOCK_DGRAM	“dgram”
Stream socket	SOCK_STREAM	“stream”

Protocol

The protocol specifies a specific protocol to be used by the channel. Generally only experts need this feature. The protocol indicated by the family and type of the socket is all that is necessary. The specific values allowed for the protocol vary.