MSDN Documentation

Windows Network Operations API Reference

This section provides information on the Windows Sockets API (Winsock), which is a networking application programming interface (API) that provides access to the Windows networking architecture. It allows applications to communicate over various network protocols, including TCP/IP, UDP, and others.

Key areas covered include socket creation, data transmission and reception, network configuration, and error handling.

Core Concepts

Understanding the fundamental concepts of network programming is crucial for effective use of the Winsock API.

Key APIs and Functions

Explore the essential functions for managing network operations:

Socket Creation and Management

socket()

Creates a socket that is an endpoint for communication.

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bind()

Associates a local address with a socket.

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listen()

Puts a socket into a listening mode.

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accept()

Accepts a connection on a socket.

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connect()

Establishes a connection to a remote socket.

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closesocket()

Closes an existing socket.

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Data Transmission and Reception

send()

Sends data on a connected socket.

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recv()

Receives data from a socket.

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sendto()

Sends datagrams on a socket.

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recvfrom()

Receives datagrams from a socket.

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Address and Protocol Information

gethostbyname()

Retrieves host information from a host name.

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getaddrinfo()

Translates a protocol-independent character string into a set of protocol-specific addresses.

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ntohs()

Converts a 16-bit unsigned integer from network byte order to host byte order.

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