Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!hellgate.utah.edu!dog.ee.lbl.gov!ucbvax!VAXF.COLORADO.EDU!CEARLEY_K%UMS
From: CEARLEY_K%UMS@VAXF.COLORADO.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
Subject: API Standards...
Message-ID: <DC46122AE0012B04@VAXF.COLORADO.EDU>
Date: 26 Mar 91 17:17:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 15


> a new, simple API and write interface programs for all commercial stacks.
> The acedemic community and friends would be responsible for the API
> definition.  We'ld also be responsible for the interface programs unless
> sufficient concern was raised for a commercial response.

I'm not clear on what an API would be providing with TCP/IP. How is an API
different (in scope and goals) from a transport library interface like TLI,
Sockets, RPC, TCF, etc? Is the scope limitted to a particular operating
system, like PC/DOS, or a specific LAN interface, like NETBIOS, or are there
concerns for serialization of data (e.g. XDR, OSI model) for speaking to
different platforms?

		-Kent Cearley
		-University of Colorado, Boulder