July 90 - SURF'S UP: CATCH THE COMM TOOLBOX WAVE
SURF'S UP: CATCH THE COMM TOOLBOX WAVE
ROB BERKOWITZ AND ALEX KAZIM
The Macintosh Communications Toolbox provides managers and utilities that offer
basic networking and communications services to applications. This article introduces
you to three of the Communications Toolbox managers--the Connection Manager, the
Terminal Manager, and the File Transfer Manager--as well as Surfer, a sample
application that uses the Communications Toolbox to implement simple networking and
communications services.
Networking and communications applications running on the Macintosh are like a good
pair of rose-colored shades. They filter out the harshness of antiquated architectures
and conventions, and present users with a familiar, intuitive interface. The Macintosh
Communications Toolbox provides a standard framework in which you can develop
modular, consistent networking and communications applications. As a developer
using the Communications Toolbox, you can write applications without having to know
the complexities of each networking and communications environment your
applications run in. For example, imagine writing a chess program that enables users
to play opponents over any sort of data connection, without having to code for each type
of connection. The Communications Toolbox makes this possible.
COMMUNICATIONS TOOLBOX CONTENTS
The Communications Toolbox consists of four managers and a set of utilities that
provide basic networking and communications services. Think of these managers and
utilities as an extension to the Macintosh Toolbox. Each of the managers in the