NAME

Net::TCP - TCP sockets interface module

SYNOPSIS

use Net::Gen;		# optional
use Net::Inet;		# optional
use Net::TCP;

DESCRIPTION

The Net::TCP module provides services for TCP communications over sockets. It is layered atop the Net::Inet and Net::Gen modules, which are part of the same distribution.

Public Methods

The following methods are provided by the Net::TCP module itself, rather than just being inherited from Net::Inet or Net::Gen.

new

Usage:

$obj = new Net::TCP;
$obj = new Net::TCP $host, $service;
$obj = new Net::TCP \%parameters;
$obj = new Net::TCP $host, $service, \%parameters;
$obj = 'Net::TCP'->new();
$obj = 'Net::TCP'->new($host, $service);
$obj = 'Net::TCP'->new(\%parameters);
$obj = 'Net::TCP'->new($host, $service, \%parameters);

Returns a newly-initialised object of the given class. If called for a derived class, no validation of the supplied parameters will be performed. (This is so that the derived class can add the parameter validation it needs to the object before allowing the validation.) Otherwise, it will cause the parameters to be validated by calling its init method, which Net::TCP inherits from Net::Inet. In particular, this means that if both a host and a service are given, then an object will only be returned if a connect() call was successful (or is still in progress, if the object is non-blocking).

The examples above show the indirect object syntax which many prefer, as well as the guaranteed-to-be-safe static method call. There are occasional problems with the indirect object syntax, which tend to be rather obscure when encountered. See http://www.xray.mpe.mpg.de/mailing-lists/perl5-porters/1998-01/msg01674.html for details.

Protected Methods

none.

Known Socket Options

These are the socket options known to the Net::TCP module itself:

TCP_NODELAY TCP_MAXSEG TCP_RPTR2RXT

Known Object Parameters

There are no object parameters registered by the Net::TCP module itself.

TIESCALAR

Tieing of scalars to a TCP handle is supported by inheritance from the TIESCALAR method of Net::Gen. That method only succeeds if a call to a new method results in an object for which the isconnected method returns true, which is why it is mentioned in connection with this module.

Example:

tie $x,Net::TCP,0,'finger' or die;
$x = "-s\015\012";
print $y while defined($y = $x);
untie $x;

This is an expensive re-implementation of finger -s on many machines.

Each assignment to the tied scalar is really a call to the put method (via the STORE method), and each read from the tied scalar is really a call to the getline method (via the FETCH method).

Exports

default

none

exportable

TCPOPT_EOL TCPOPT_MAXSEG TCPOPT_NOP TCPOPT_WINDOW TCP_MAXSEG TCP_MAXWIN TCP_MAX_WINSHIFT TCP_MSS TCP_NODELAY TCP_RPTR2RXT TH_ACK TH_FIN TH_PUSH TH_RST TH_SYN TH_URG

tags

The following :tags are available for grouping related exportable items:

:sockopts

TCP_NODELAY TCP_MAXSEG TCP_RPTR2RXT

:tcpoptions

TCPOPT_EOL TCPOPT_MAXSEG TCPOPT_NOP TCPOPT_WINDOW

:protocolvalues

TCP_MAXWIN TCP_MAX_WINSHIFT TCP_MSS TH_ACK TH_FIN TH_PUSH TH_RST TH_SYN TH_URG

:ALL

All of the above exportable items.

THREADING STATUS

This module has been tested with threaded perls, and should be as thread-safe as perl itself. (As of 5.005_03 and 5.005_57, that's not all that safe just yet.) It also works with interpreter-based threads ('ithreads') in more recent perl releases.

SEE ALSO

Net::Inet(3), Net::Gen(3), Net::TCP::Server(3)

AUTHOR

Spider Boardman <spidb@cpan.org>