PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX

Included with PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX

• 8 Controls/Objects.
• 41 Full Sample projects.
• 8 ASP/ASP.NET Samples.
• Debug Server for debugging and protocol testing.
• Full MS Help 1.3 Documentation, including examples.
• Free Introductory Support.

 

Component	Description
Daemon Control	Use to accept TCP connections.
Dns Control	Use to access Domain Name Servers.
Ping Control	Use to determine if a host is reachable.
Tcp Control	Use to manage streams of data through a TCP Socket.
Udp Control	Use the UDP Control to send and receive User Datagrams and raw IP Datagrams.
DartStream Object	Use to manage a streamed buffer to/from memory or a file.
DartStrings Object	Collection of strings.

 

Supported Environments

Operating Systems*: Server 2008, 2012, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Server 2016

PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX can be used in the following development environments:

• Visual Basic
• Visual C++
• FoxPro
• ASP
• VBScript (wscript, cscript, etc)
• MS Office VBA

 

Visual Basic
Looking to integrate network connectivity into Visual Basic? PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX contains 11 full sample projects for Visual Basic, demonstrating Internet communication using TCP, UDP, DNS, Ping, RAS and more.

 

Visual C++
PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX includes C++ wrapper classes to make network integration into C++ even easier. In addition, 8 full sample projects are included.

Code Examples

Included Example Projects

These PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX  examples, included with the installation, are fully working applications and include complete source code.

Example Name	Example Description	Environments
DartChat	Uses the UDP Control and multicast datagrams to join chat sessions.	VB 6, VC++ 6
DartDraw	Uses the UDP Control and broadcasting to create a community whiteboard application.	VB 6
DNS Client	Uses the DNS Control to resolve any host name to an address (type A records), any address to its host name (type PTR records), any email address to its host name and address (type MX records).	VB 6, VC++ 6
Ping Client	Uses the Ping Control to ping any host.	VB 6, VC++ 6
RAS Client	Uses the RAS Control to demonstrate dial-up operation.	VB 6, VC++ 6
TCP Blaster	Uses the Daemon and TCP Controls to demonstrate high-throughput operation.	VB 6, VC++ 6
TCP Client	Uses the TCP Control to build an interactive on-line application for time, character builder, smtp, echo, etc.	VB 6
UDP Client	Uses the UDP Control in an interactive "chat" application.	VB 6, VC++ 6
WebAlive	Uses the TCP Control to compare the performance of any two web servers.	VB 6

 

 

Winsock for ActiveX also includes the following application(s):

Application	Description
Debug Server	This server application is based upon one of Dart's own internal testing tools and is designed to help developers debug their client-side applications by being able to see the message sent from a client application. Then, a developer can respond to the client application with a customized response message sent from the server.

 

 

ASP (Online) Samples
Our ASP samples give a live, onsite demonstration of our tools.

Sample Name	Sample Description	Environments
DNS on the Web	ASP application uses the DNS Control to resolve a host name to an address, an address to host name(s), or an email address to a mail server name and address.	COM, .NET

 

Product Release History for PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX

The following is a list of public releases for all components shipped with PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX (Latest Release 2017-12-07)

 

dartsock.dll   dartras.dll   dartutil.dll

 

 

 

2.12.1.0   Released: 2019-12-17

---

 

• Resolved an issue where Udp.DontEcho could only be set after the UDP socket was opened. (5218)
• Resolved an issue with the WebAlive sample that would result in an unnecessary error due to it targeting a non-existent website. (5781)

 

 

2.12.0.0   Released: 2017-12-07

---

 

• Version change for installation kit.

 

 

2.11.1.0   Released: 2017-10-26

---

 

• Now includes 64-bit dlls.
• Support for IPv6 has been added.

 

 

2.11.0.0   Released: 2015-11-13

---

 

• Version change.

 

 

2.10.2.1   Released: 2013-05-08

---

 

Product fixes in this release:

• Resolved a com registration error.
• Resolved an issue where DartStrings would be empty when reading and splitting a large file with delimiters. (5117)
• Resolved a memory leak when calling the Udp.Receive(DartStream) overload. (5536)

 

 

2.10.0.1   Released: 2012-07-10

---

 

• There are now separate "Trial" and "Licensed" versions of the dll. Trial dlls are not for deployment and will only function on machines on which a trial version of the product has been installed.

 

 

2.9.1.0   Released: 2012-02-09

---

 

• No changes from 2.9.0.3.

 

 

2.9.0.3   Released: 2010-10-26

---

 

• CertificateList and CertificateStore are now licensed controls in PowerTCP Mail for ActiveX.

 

 

2.9.0.2   Released: 2010-07-26

---

 

Product fixes in this release:

• Fixed problem getting DartStrings.All when the collection is empty.

 

 

2.9.0.1   Released: 2010-04-28

---

 

• Now functions on all Data Execution Protection (DEP) enabled systems.
• No longer vulnerable to attacks outlined in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-035 (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS09-035.mspx).

 

 

2.9.0.0   Released: 2010-02-11

---

 

Product fixes in this release:

• The StartAfter parameter of DartStrings.Find can now be greater than 65535. (4707)
• Ras Phonebook entries can now have names with multibyte characters. (4875)

 

 

2.8.5.0   Released: 2008-03-19

---

 

Product fixes in this release:

• It is now possible to edit and add to Ras PhoneBooks on Vista machines. (4225)
• Two running instances of the same application using the Ping control are now completely independent. (4583)

 

 

2.8.3.27   Released: 2008-02-04

---

 

Product fixes in this release:

• DartStrings.Remove now works with a string parameter. (4262)
• NoDelay and KeepAlive properties can now be set to false on Vista machines. (4351)
• DartStrings.Add now works when adding strings to the end of the collection by specifying an index parameter. (4632)

 

 

 

 

2.9.1.0   Released: 2012-07-10

---

 

• There are now separate "Trial" and "Licensed" versions of the dll. Trial dlls are not for deployment and will only function on machines on which a trial version of the product has been installed.

 

 

2.9.0.1   Released: 2010-04-28

---

 

• Now functions on all Data Execution Protection (DEP) enabled systems.
• No longer vulnerable to attacks outlined in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-035 (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS09-035.mspx).

 

 

2.8.5.0   Released: 2008-03-19

---

 

Product fixes in this release:

• It is now possible to edit and add to Ras PhoneBooks on Vista machines. (4225)

 

 

 

2.12.0.0   Released: 2017-12-07

---

 

• Version change for Winsock installation.

 

 

2.10.1.0   Released: 2017-10-26

---

 

• Now includes 64-bit dlls.

 

 

2.10.0.0   Released: 2015-11-12

---

 

Product fixes in this release:

• No bug fixes, version change.

 

 

2.9.3.0   Released: 2013-05-17

---

 

Product fixes in this release:

• Resolved a Com registration error.

 

 

2.9.2.0   Released: 2012-07-10

---

 

• There are now separate "Trial" and "Licensed" versions of the dll. Trial dlls are not for deployment and will only function on machines on which a trial version of the product has been installed.

 

 

2.9.1.0   Released: 2012-02-09

---

 

• No changes from 2.9.0.1.

 

 

2.9.0.1   Released: 2010-04-28

---

 

• Now functions on all Data Execution Protection (DEP) enabled systems.
• No longer vulnerable to attacks outlined in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-035 (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS09-035.mspx).

 

 

2.8.5.0   Released: 2008-03-19

---

 

Product fixes in this release:

• Two running instances of the same application using the Ping control are now completely independent. (4583)

PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX features

 

Tcp ActiveX Control

Use the Tcp control to easily implement any upper-layer protocol that is based on a TCP data stream. Features include:

• Send method sends data to the server.
• Receive method receives all available data.
• Search Method supports variable length records and line processing, eliminating the need to search for termination characters and simplifying buffer management.
• Fill Method supports fixed length binary records, simplifying buffer management and reducing the code needed to send and receive binary structures.
• Proxy support, including Socks 4 and 5

 

Development Environments

• Visual Studio .NET (.NET Framework)
• Visual Basic (VB)
• Visual C++ (VC++)
• FoxPro
• PowerBuilder
• Delphi
• C++ Builder
• ASP
• Office 97/2000

 

Interface

Public Properties
Blocked	A True value indicates the control is currently executing a blocking method (Timeout is greater than 0), which has neither completed nor timed out with a ptTimeout error.
KeepAlive	When set to True, the KEEPALIVE socket option is set to monitor dropped connections. This option can only be set when the State property is tcpConnected.
LocalAddress	Returns the address of the local host in dot notation (for example, nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn). When not connected, it returns an empty string.
LocalPort	Returns the port number that the socket is bound to. When not connected, it returns 0.
NoDelay	When True, the NODELAY socket option is set to defeat Nagle's algorithm.
ProxyHost	Specifies the name or address of the proxy server that requests are to be routed through.
ProxyPassword	Password to be sent on all requests through a proxy server that requires authentication.
ProxyPort	Specifies the port used by proxy server that requests are to be routed through.
ProxyType	The type of proxy server used for this connection.
ProxyUsername	Username to be sent on all requests through a proxy server that requires authentication.
ReceiveBufferCount	Checks for the existence of data without removing it.
ReceiveBufferSize	Number of bytes the system has for buffering incoming data.
Ref	Stores a reference to another object, data type, or value.
RemoteAddress	Returns the address of the remote host in dot notation (i.e. nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn) when the State property is tcpConnected.
RemotePort	Returns the port number of the remote host when the State property is tcpConnected.
ReuseAddress	When True, the REUSEADDR socket option is set to accept duplicate use of the same LocalAddress / LocalPort pair (these are optional parameters of the Connect and Listen methods). If used, this property must be set prior to calling the Connect or Listen method and can be set at design time.
RemotePort	Returns the port number of the remote host when the State property is tcpConnected.
ReuseAddress	When True, the REUSEADDR socket option is set to accept duplicate use of the same LocalAddress / LocalPort pair (these are optional parameters of the Connect and Listen methods). If used, this property must be set prior to calling the Connect or Listen method and can be set at design time.
SendBufferCount	When the Send method is used, some data may be stored in a buffer and later submitted to the system. The Send event fires to indicate that the system has accepted the submitted data.
SendBufferSize	Number of bytes the system uses for buffering outgoing data.
Socket	System identifier assigned to the TCP connection. It is normally used to assume management of an accepted socket from the Daemon Control.
State	Provides status information to the user interface. The State event fires to signal that this property has changed.
Timeout	Controls the blocking behavior of methods that can be used in blocking and non-blocking ways.
Public Methods
Abort	Abort any blocking method and release all system resources.
About	Show the About Box.
Close	Close the session and release all system resources. A single control can be used for many connections, one after the other.
Connect	Establish a connection. The State property immediately changes to tcpConnecting and then changes to tcpConnected when the connection is established. The State property can be checked in the body of the State event, polled off a timer, or checked immediately after this method is used when a positive Timeout is specified.
Fill	Use this method when you know exactly how many bytes or characters you want from the TCP stream. Data is either filled to capacity or no data is returned. This method is useful for processing fixed-length records that can include binary structures.
Receive	Receive an arbitrary amount of data. The specified String or Byte array is filled with bytes from the remote host.
Search	Receive data up to and including a terminating sequence. The data stream is searched for the specified Token, and the specified string, byte array, or DartStream object is filled with the data stream up to and including the specified Token.
Send	Send data after a connection is established. The Send event fires when data is accepted by the system. The SendBufferCount property always indicates the number of bytes that have been submitted but have not yet been accepted by the system.
Trace	Start or stop the accumulation of trace or debug data. Once started, this method accumulates data until it is turned off.
Public Events
Error	Fires when an error condition occurs.
Receive	Fires when ReceiveBufferCount changes.
Send	Fires when the system accepts data for sending.
State	Fires when the State property changes.

 

Code Example

How easy is the TCP ActiveX component to use? Check out the following TCP VB example below, which demonstrates connecting to an Echo server and sending and receiving data.

 

 

Return to Overview

PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX Features

Udp ActiveX Control

Use the Udp control to easily send and receive User, Multicast, and raw IP Datagrams. Features include:

• Supports raw datagrams, providing the ability to access advanced protocols like ICMP.
• Supports multicast datagrams, allowing you to send and receive streaming protocols, and to easily construct chat programs.
• Broadcast operation.

 

Development Environments

• Visual Studio .NET (.NET Framework)
• Visual Basic (VB)
• Visual C++ (VC++)
• FoxPro
• PowerBuilder
• Delphi
• C++ Builder
• ASP
• Office 97/2000

  

Interface

Public Properties
Blocked	A True value indicates the control is currently executing a blocking method (Timeout is greater than 0), which has neither completed nor timed out with a ptTimeout error.
DontEcho	Disables the local echoing of multicast packets sent by the control.
LocalAddress	Returns the address in use while the socket is active and an empty string when the UDP socket is closed.
LocalPort	Returns the port number in use while the socket is active and 0 when the socket is closed. When the Protocol property of the UDP Control is not ptUdp, LocalPort returns 0.
MaxSubnets	Maximum number of subnets a multicast packet is allowed to travel.
Protocol	The datagram protocol to use.
SendDatagramCount	Number of datagrams queued for sending.
Timeout	Controls the blocking behavior of methods that can be used in blocking and non-blocking ways.
UserHeaders	Enables the use of user-defined IP headers.
Public Methods
Abort	Abort any blocking method and release all system resources.
About	Show the About Box.
Close	Release system resources.
Join	Join a multicast group.
Leave	Leave a multicast group.
Open	Allocate a socket for sending and receiving datagrams.
Receive	Receive a datagram into a buffer.
Send	Send a datagram to the specified remote address and port.
Trace	Start or stop the accumulation of trace or debug data. Once started, this method accumulates data until it is turned off.
Public Events
Error	Fires when an error condition occurs.
Receive	Fires when a datagram is available for receiving.
Send	Fires when the system accepts a datagram for transmission.

  

Code Example

How easy is the UDP control to use? Check out the following UDP VB example below, which demonstrates sending a datagram and receiving a response.

 

PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX features

 

Daemon ActiveX Control

Use the Daemon control to build a multi-threaded server. Can accept an unlimited number of connections that can be assigned to dynamic SecureTcp controls for stream management. Features include:

• Can accept an unlimited number of connections.
• After accepting a connection, pass it to a Tcp control to send and receive data to the remote host.
• The Daemon control comes complete with extensive samples demonstrating its use.
• Help file quick starts show also demonstrate how to use the Daemon control.
• Controls can operate on separate threads, so Server Applications can be written using apartment model multi-threading features. Or, see PowerTCP Server for ActiveX for an ActiveX control which already does this.

 

Development Environments

• Visual Studio .NET (.NET Framework)
• Visual Basic (VB)
• Visual C++ (VC++)
• FoxPro
• ASP
• Office 97/2000
• and more

 

Interface

Public Properties
LocalAddress	Returns the address in use while the Daemon is active and an empty string when the Daemon socket is closed.
LocalPort	Returns the port number in use while the Daemon is active and 0 when the Daemon is closed.
ReuseAddress	When True, the REUSEADDR socket option is set to accept duplicate use of the same LocalAddress / LocalPort pair (these are optional parameters of the Connect and Listen methods). If used, this property must be set prior to calling the Connect or Listen method and can be set at design time.
Timeout	Controls the blocking behavior of methods that can be used in blocking and non-blocking ways.
Public Methods
About	Show the About Box.
Accept	Accept a connection and pass it to a TCP control for subsequent connection management. The Listen method must have been previously used to listen for passive connections.
Close	Release system resources.
Listen	Start listening for passive connections.
Accept	Fires when a passive connection occurs. Use the Accept method to get the socket, then transfer it to a TCP control for management.
Error	Fires when an error condition occurs.

  

Code Example

How easy is the Daemon ActiveX control to use? The following VB example demonstrates accepting a connection.

 

 

Return to Overview

PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX features

 

Dns ActiveX Control

Use the Dns control to integrate domain name resolution into any COM application, allowing your application to easily resolve domain names, host addresses, and email addresses. Features include:

• The Dns control bypasses Winsock system services, so you can query ANY Domain Name Server on the Internet.
• Resolve a domain name to a dot address (forward lookup)
• Resolve a dot address to a domain name (reverse lookup)
• Resolve an email address to the mail server responsible for the mail server (mx lookup)
• The Dns control comes complete with extensive samples.

Development Environments

• Visual Studio .NET (.NET Framework)
• Visual Basic (VB)
• Visual C++ (VC++)
• FoxPro
• ASP
• Office 97/2000

  

Interface Members

Public Properties
Addresses	Collection of addresses in dot notation (nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn) returned by the Domain Name Server.
Id	Sets the Dns request ID included with the request.
Names	Collection of names returned by the Domain Name Server.
ServerName	Domain Name Server to use for queries.
ServerPort	Domain Name Server port for queries.
Timeout	Controls the blocking behavior of methods that can be used in blocking and non-blocking ways.
Public Methods
Abort	Abort any blocking method and release all system resources.
About	Show the About Box.
GetAddress	Resolve a host name to a dot address.
GetMailServer	Get the mail server (or servers) responsible for receiving mail for a given email address.
GetName	Resolve a dot address to a host name.
Public Events
Error	Fires when an error condition occurs.
Response	Fires after the Id, Addresses, and Names properties are updated with the contents of a DNS response.

 

Code Example

How easy is the DNS ActiveX control to use? Check out the following VB example below, which demonstrates getting an IP address for a domain name.

 

 

Return to Overview

PowerTCP Winsock for ActiveX features

 

Ping ActiveX Control

Use the Ping control to easily send and receive ICMP echo (Ping) messages. Dynamically discovers if a host is reachable. Features include:

• Determine if any host is online and reachable.
• Simple interface makes the Ping control easy-to-use.
• Ping a host using blocking or non-blocking techniques.
• Specify any amount of data to send along with the Ping packet.
• Assign an ID to the Ping packet.

Development Environments

• Visual Studio .NET (.NET Framework)
• Visual Basic (VB)
• Visual C++ (VC++)
• FoxPro
• PowerBuilder
• Delphi
• C++ Builder
• ASP (requires the ASP user to have permission to use raw sockets; see Ping Enterprise for a control that does not have this requirement)
• Office 97/2000

  

Interface

Public Constructors
Ping	Use the Ping Control to determine if a host is reachable.
Public Properties
Data	Optional data that is sent and returned with each ping request.
Delay	Time between sending the ping request and receiving the response (round-trip time in milliseconds).
Id	Sets the ping request ID included with the request.
Timeout	Controls the blocking behavior of methods that can be used in blocking and non-blocking ways.
Public Methods
Abort	Abort any blocking method and release all system resources.
About	Show the About Box.
Ping	Determine if a host is reachable.
Error	Fires when an error condition occurs.
Response	Fires after the Id, Delay, and Data properties are updated with the contents of a ping response.

 

Code Example

How easy is the Ping ActiveX component to use? Check out the following Ping VB example below, which demonstrates getting an IP address for a domain name.

 

 

Return to Overview