Inside Macintosh: Networking With Open Transport / Part 1 - Open Transport Essentials

Chapter 2 - Getting Started With Open Transport

This chapter introduces the basic information needed to use Open Transport. If you are writing an application or stand-alone code resource that calls Open Transport functions, you must read the appropriate sections in this chapter to find out how you initialize and close Open Transport, how you configure providers, and how you specify addresses. The code sample shown in Listing 2-4 includes material that is described in greater detail in the next two chapters, "Providers" and "Endpoints"; however, it is highly recommended that you read through the sections in this chapter that describe this code. Doing so will enable you to assimilate information in the later chapters more easily and will give you a general sense of what an Open Transport program is like.

The corresponding reference chapter, "Initializing and Closing Open Transport Reference" provides more detailed information about the data structures and functions introduced in this chapter.

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Chapter Contents

Initializing Open Transport

Initializing From a Client Application

Initializing From a Stand-Alone Code Resource

Using ASLM and Open Transport

Using the Gestalt Function to Determine Whether Open Transport Is Available

Configuring and Opening a Provider

Creating a Configuration Structure

Opening a Provider

Reusing Provider Configurations

Specifying an Address

Addressing in Open Transport

Using TNetBuf Structures

Storing an Address in a TNetBuf Structure

Using Helper Routines to Initialize an Address

Closing Open Transport

Closing From Applications

Closing From Stand-Alone Code

Open Transport Libraries

Downloading a URL With HTTP

Using Threads for Easy Synchronous Processing

Specifying the Host Names and HTTP Commands

Opening an Endpoint and Setting the Mode of Operation

Connecting to the Host and Sending Data

Receiving Data From the Remote Endpoint

Error Handling

Unbinding the Endpoint and Final Clean-Up