Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!virtech!scum
From: scum@virtech.uucp (Steven C. Monroe)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Sockets, TLI, or what
Message-ID: <1991Jan03.130418.5248@virtech.uucp>
Date: 3 Jan 91 13:04:18 GMT
References: <9101021513.aa02786@Mercury.TWG.COM>
Organization: Virtual Technologies Inc.
Lines: 41

ljm@TWG.COM writes:

>>
>>If you are concerned with portability (and the original poster was), you
>>can't ignore TLI and streams.  It is the socket interface that will be
>>going away (but not for a *long* time...).
>>	

>I usually find the most useful way to explain the relationship of TLI
>and sockets is to consider TLI the 'native' transport interface for
>UNIX and sockets is more of a cross-platform API.

In my one rather feeble attempt to deal with TLI showed me some that there
are some deficiencies (IMHO) that need to be addressed. This project was
attempted because the vendor supplied more than one other vendors Ethernet
TCP/IP package.  The TLI provides NO support functions to map a system
target (UUCP?, Ethernet?, SLIP?) with an addressing facility (X.500 will
supply this?).  So I ended up having to know about what the "real"
bottom layer was in order to build the sockaddr structures to get the 
call made.

>So, if you are absolutely sure that your application will only
>run on one of them, or if your application absolutely requires the improved
>functionallity only present in the native interface, then use it.

>Otherwise, use the sockets API as it will ease the port of your application
>to different platforms (or even same platform/different vendor in the DOS
>and OS/2 cases).

As far as I'm concerned, I'll use sockets until all of the facilities that
I need are available.  I don't have the time or resources to build my own
version of X.500, especially when they exist is the socket library.

>enjoy,
>leo j mclaughlin iii
>The Wollongong Group
>ljm@twg.com
-- 
Steven C. Monroe           (703)430-9247        Virtual Technologies, Inc.,
uunet!virtech!scum                              46030 Manekin Plaza, Suite 160
                                                Sterling, VA 22170