Windows Sockets

In computing, the Windows Sockets API, which was later shortened to Winsock, is a technical specification that defines how Windows network software should access network services, especially TCP/IP. It defines a standard interface between a Windows TCP/IP client application (such as an FTP client or a Gopher client) and the underlying TCP/IP protocol stack. The nomenclature is based on the Sockets API model used in Berkeley UNIX for communications between programs. Initially, all the participating developers resisted the shortening of the name to Winsock for a long time, since there was much confusion among users between the API and the DLL library file (winsock.dll) which only exposed the common WSA interfaces to applications above it. Users would commonly believe that only making sure the DLL file was present on a system would provide full TCP/IP protocol support.
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<networking, standard> (Winsock) A specification for Microsoft Windows network software, describing how applications can access network services, especially TCP/IP. Winsock is intended to provide a single API to which application developers should program and to which multiple network software vendors should conform. For any particular version of Microsoft Windows, it defines a binary interface (ABI) such that an application written to the Windows Sockets API can work with a conformant protocol implementation from any network software vendor.
Winsock was conceived at Fall Interop '91 during a Birds of a Feather session.
Windows Sockets is supported by Microsoft Windows, Windows for Workgroups, Win32s, Windows 95 and Windows NT. It will support protocols other than TCP/IP. Under Windows NT, Microsoft will provide Windows Sockets support over TCP/IP and IPX/SPX. DEC will be implementing DECNet. Windows NT will include mechanisms for multiple protocol support in Windows Sockets, both 32-bit and 16 bit.
Mark Towfiq said, "The next rev. of Winsock will not be until toward the end of 1993. We need 1.1 of the API to become firmly settled and implemented first."
Windows Sockets API. or ftp://microdyne.com/pub/winsock or send a message "help" to either ftpmail@SunSite.UNC.Edu or ftpmail@DECWRL.DEC.Com.
Windows Sockets specification.
Currently NetManage (NEWT), Distinct, FTP and Frontier are shipping Winsock TCP/IP stacks, as is Microsoft (Windows NT and TCP/IP for WFW), Beame & Whiteside Software (v1.1 compliant), and Sun PC-NFS. Windows 95 has "dial-up networking" which supports Winsock and TCP/IP.
winsock.dll is available from some TCP/IP stack vendors. Novell has one in beta for their Lan Workplace for DOS.
Peter Tattam peter@psychnet.psychol.utas.edu.au is alpha-testing a shareware Windows Sockets compliant TCP/IP stack ftp://ftp.utas.edu.au/pc/trumpet/winsock/winsock.zip. and ftp://ftp.utas.edu.au/pc/trumpet/winsock/winpkt.com.
The Consummate Winsock App List.
[Adapted from: Aboba, Bernard D., comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc Frequently Asked Questions, 1993 Usenet: news:news.answers, ftp://netcom1.netcom.com/pub/mailcom/IBMTCP/].
[Current status?]
(1996-06-20)