\autotoc
\section socket_intro Introduction
-
+ \seechapter \ref structure \n
+ \seechapter \ref usage
+
The socket library abstraction is based on several concepts:
\li The basic visible interface is a \link handle_group handle object\endlink
protocol_group protocol classes \endlink
\li There is a family of auxilliary \ref addr_group to supplement the socket library
- \see
- \ref structure \n
- \ref usage
-
\section socket_handle Socket Handles
+ \seechapter \ref handle_group \n
+ \seechapter \ref concrete_protocol_group
The handle/body architecture provides automatic reference counted management of socket
instances. This is the visible interface to the socket library.
Each specific protocol is used primarily via a protocol specific handle (a typedef
symbol). However, more generic kinds of handles can be defined for more generic functionality.
- \see
- \ref handle_group \n
- \ref concrete_protocol_group
\section socket_policy The Policy interface
+ \seechapter \ref policy_group
The policy framework configures the exact features, a specific type of socket handle
provides. This offers highly efficient access to the most important socket functions (like
reading and writing). The policy interface however is a \e static, non-polymorphic interface.
- \see
- \ref policy_group
\section socket_protocol The Protocol interface
+ \seechapter \ref protocol_group
+
The protocol interface provides further protocol dependent and (possibly) polymorphic access to
further socket funcitonality. On the other hand, this type of interface is not as flexible,
generic and fast as the policy interface.
- \see
- \ref protocol_group
-
\section socket_addr Auxilliary Addressing classes
+ \seechapter \ref addr_group
To supplement the socket library, there are a multitude of addressing classes. These come in two
basic groups:
corresponding low-level address, the socket addresses are based on the corresponding \c sockaddr
structures.
- \see
- \ref addr_group
-
\section socket_further Going further
+ \seechapter \ref extend \n
+ \seechapter \ref implementation
The socket library is highly flexible and extensible. The implementation is not restricted to
plain BSD sockets: Any type of read/write communication can be wrapped into the socket library
(one Example is the TapSocketHandle which provides access to a Linux \c tap device).
- \see
- \ref extend \n
- \ref implementation
*/
/** \page structure Overview of the Socket Library Structure