Effective TCP/IP Programming (Paperback)

Packaged as a series of 44 tips for better TCP/IP programs, this book actually does much more. Early sections review the basics of the TCP, UDP and IP protocols (along with related standards). A winning feature here is the author's care to distinguish between the well-known BSD (for UNIX) and Winsock (for Windows) versions of sockets. (By using macros and "skeleton" programs, his sample C code will run easily on either implementation.)

Besides nuts-and-bolts programming advice, and plenty of hints for better performance, Snader also discusses how IP works under the hood. Standout sections here include a discussion of the pitfalls of scaling a standalone or LAN TCP/IP application to the Internet, as well as what a "reliable" protocol like TCP really means. He shows you how to handle misbehaving servers and clients, how to use multiple sockets effectively, as well as several useful tips for optimising data streamed across the wire. Though there is no mention of Java here (which offers strong socket support on its own), the author does provide Perl examples that work with sockets to get you started with sockets used within scripting languages.

Since IP is the protocol of choice for the Internet, more and more of us are faced with becoming socket programming experts in a hurry. In all, Effective TCP/IP Programming offers a good mix of basic and advanced tips on today's IP and related protocols. It's a valuable resource for any developer who programs for the Internet and wants both to write better code using sockets. --Richard Dragan, Amazon.com

Topics covered: TCP/IP overview and programming tips, Berkeley Socket Distribution (BSD) vs. Winsock/Windows socket implementation issues, connected and connectionless protocols, network programming frameworks, UDP vs. TCP, reliable protocols, network programming for single workstations, LANs and WANs; event-driven programming, improving write operations, IP packet layout, byte ordering issues, the Nagle and delayed ACK algorithms, using network utilities: inetd, tcpmux, tcpdump, traceroute, ttcp, and netstat; resources and hints for improving network programming skills.

In 44 expert mini-lessons, Effective TCP/IP Programming demystifies TCP/IP development, eliminating the guesswork, helping programmers past the obstacles, and showing how to dramatically improve application performance and robustness. TCP/IP programming can seem seductively simple: the API is straightforward and even novices can flesh out a working application. But there are plenty of hidden obstacles -- and developers who don't understand them will encounter serious performance problems. Effective TCP/IP Programming demystifies the critical details and hidden behaviors of TCP/IP, so programmers can build code that's more reliable, maintainable, and efficient. Following the widely-admired style of Scott Meyers' Effective C++, Jon C. Snader has organized this book into 44 short, self-contained sections, each addressing one key aspect of TCP/IP development, or one key trouble spot -- and each including detailed, fully commented code examples. The result: a book that's easy to read and absorb, and will serve as an outstanding day-to-day reference tool for every developer who wants to create TCP/IP-based network applications. A perfect complement to other books on TCP/IP, such as TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1 by W. Richard Stevens!