A Socket Control/Component by Catalyst Development Corp

SocketWrench is a general purpose TCP/IP networking component and library designed to simplify the development of Internet-based applications. Using SocketWrench, you can easily create programs which transfer files, send e-mail messages, download web pages and much more. Using SocketWrench, you can connect to any TCP/IP service, and can even create your own custom server applications. The product includes both an ActiveX control for use in languages like Visual Basic and FoxPro, as well as a standard dynamic link library (DLL) which can be used with virtually any Windows programming language.

SocketWrench comes in three different editions, the Standard Edition, the Secure Edition and a Freeware Edition. The Standard Edition includes full support for general purpose TCP/IP programming and can be used to create both client and server applications. It includes both an ActiveX control (OCX) and a dynamic link library (DLL), which means that SocketWrench can be used with virtually any Windows programming language. Visual Basic programmers will find the SocketWrench easy to use and far superior to the standard Microsoft Winsock control. C/C++ developers, as well as those using other programming languages such as Delphi, PowerBASIC or IBasic. The library provides a comprehensive collection of over 75 networking functions and is much easier to use than the native Windows Sockets API.

In addition to supporting standard network connections, the SocketWrench Secure Edition also supports secure, encrypted connections using the industry standard SSL and TLS protocols. By simply setting a few properties, a secure connection using 128-bit encryption can be established, providing your application with the greatest flexibility and highest level of security available. Even advanced options such as client certificates are seamlessly supported by the control and library. And unlike some other components which depend on third-party libraries for their security features, SocketWrench uses only standard Windows libraries, which means that there are no complex redistribution requirements or special export requirement.

For students and non-commercial developers who would like to learn more about TCP/IP programming under Windows, we also provide a Freeware Edition of SocketWrench which can be used to create client and server applications. There are no restrictions on the kind of applications that you can create and the control can be freely redistributed.