Legacy Document
Important: The information in this document is obsolete and should not be used for new development.
Important: The information in this document is obsolete and should not be used for new development.
Chapter 12 - Introduction to AppleTalk
This chapter provides an overview of the Open Transport implementation of AppleTalk, a communications network system that interconnects computer workstations, printers, shared modems, and other computers acting as file servers and print servers. AppleTalk allows these devices to exchange information through communications hardware and software. Its chief features are that
If you want to use AppleTalk, the specific set of Open Transport functions you call depends on the nature of the specific protocol you use--whether it is connectionless or connection-oriented, and transactionless or transaction-based. For example, you use different functions to send and receive data with a connection-oriented protocol such as AppleTalk Data Stream Protocol (ADSP) or Printer Access Protocol (PAP) than with a connectionless protocol such as Datagram Delivery Protocol (DDP) or AppleTalk Transaction Protocol (ATP).
- it is built into all Mac OS computers
- it provides dynamic addressing, which allows for very easy setup and configuration
- it provides easy resource browsing
Read this chapter if you want an overview of AppleTalk networks and AppleTalk protocols. You can also read this chapter for help in deciding which AppleTalk protocols to use for your application's requirements.
This chapter introduces
This chapter and the other AppleTalk chapters in this book describe how to use AppleTalk-specific options with the Open Transport networking functions that are appropriate for the AppleTalk protocol you wish to use.
- AppleTalk networking concepts
- AppleTalk protocols implemented in Open Transport
- AppleTalk service providers
- AppleTalk mappers
Because an AppleTalk network includes both hardware and software, the information in this book constitutes only a small part of the body of literature documenting AppleTalk. An important resource for any AppleTalk network developer is the book Inside AppleTalk, second edition, which has detailed specifications for each of the AppleTalk protocols.
Chapter Contents
- About AppleTalk
- AppleTalk Networks and Addresses
- Multinodes
- Handling Miscellaneous Events
- Configuring AppleTalk Protocol Providers
- About AppleTalk Protocols Under Open Transport
- AppleTalk Addressing and the Name Binding Protocol (NBP)
- The AppleTalk Service Provider
- Datagram Delivery Protocol (DDP)
- AppleTalk Data Stream Protocol (ADSP)
- AppleTalk Transaction Protocol (ATP)
- Printer Access Protocol (PAP)