SocketTools 7.2 Upgrade

SocketTools 7.2 includes support for both 32-bit and 64-bit application development, support for IPv6 networking and includes security features in all editions of the product. This new release also includes updated versions of the SocketWrench, Catalyst File Transfer and SocketTools Internet Mail products.

64-bit Development

This has been one of the most requested features for SocketTools, and we're pleased to include both 32-bit and 64-bit components in each of our SocketTools 7.2 products. If you are currently using either the .NET or ActiveX components, you'll find that there's very little that has changed when it comes to working with SocketTools. Because they have a higher-level interface, you don't need to worry about the core changes that were made to support 64-bit platforms. With .NET development, you'll be able to build applications that explicitly target either the x86 or x64 platforms, or both. The most significant changes you'll probably need to make are with how your installer deploys your application, since it will need to be aware of whether or not the installation is being performed on a 32-bit or 64-bit system.

 For developers who are using the Library Edition, there will be more significant changes because of the lower-level interface presented by the SocketTools API. In particular, the size of pointers and handles are different based on whether you're building your application for 32-bit or 64-bit systems. The signatures for some of the SocketTools functions have changed to accommodate this, and it may require that you modify your code. This is really a general programming issue, so it's not something unique to SocketTools, but it is something to be aware of if you're planning to port your software to 64-bit Windows.

IPv6 Networking

The other significant change that we've made to SocketTools is to support IPv6, the next generation Internet protocol. You may have read recently in the news that the last of the IPv4 address blocks have been released, and that we're essentially exhausting the pool of available IPv4 addresses. IPv6 resolves this significant problem by providing a (much) larger address space, where there are more than enough unique IPv6 addresses available for every network-enabled device.

SocketTools 7.2 includes support for both IPv4 and IPv6, and we have worked to make it as seamless as possible. For the majority of developers, there's actually very little that you'll need to do in order to support IPv6 in your applications. Because IPv4 is still the dominant version of the protocol that is in use today, SocketTools uses that as a default for connections. For example, if a remote host has both an IPv4 and IPv6 address, we will default to using an IPv4 connection unless you explicitly tell us that you want to use IPv6 instead. However, if that host only has an IPv6 address, that is what we'll use.

 Although SocketTools makes the transition to support IPv6 much simpler, there are changes that you'll need to make to your applications to support it. For example, the format of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses are very different. An IPv4 address looks like 192.168.0.20, while an IPv6 address can look something like fd7c:2f6a:4f4f:ba34::a32. If your software checks for the format of these addresses, it needs to be aware of the differences. You also need to make sure that you're providing enough space to display or store an address. Another consideration is that IPv6 support on the Windows platforms varies according to version. Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 support IPv6, but it needs to be installed and configured separately. Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista and Windows 7 have IPv6 installed by default. If you attempt to establish an IPv6 connection on a system that doesn't support it, an error will be returned that your application will need to handle.

Product Consolidation

SocketTools originally started as a single product, the Visual Edition, which included Visual Basic (VBX) and ActiveX components. As time went on, we created additional versions of SocketTools to address the emerging needs of different types of developers. These included the Library Edition with a lower-level API, the Scripting Edition for light-weight scripting and web development, and the .NET Edition for developers using the .NET platform. We also had different editions based on whether or not security features (SSL, TLS, SSH) were needed.

With SocketTools 7.2, we've consolidated several SocketTools editions, which achieves two general goals. First, it simplifies and reduces the number of SocketTools editions, and second, it better reflects the current needs of developers. For these reasons, the number of editions has been reduced from eight to three:

  •  SocketTools .NET Edition
  • SocketTools ActiveX Edition
  • SocketTools Library Edition

 In addition, the Internet Mail and File Transfer products were each consolidated to include both the ActiveX and .NET components. The three SocketWrench editions were also consolidated, including the .NET components, ActiveX controls and libraries in a single product. The SocketTools Subscription includes every product and reflects all of the changes.

 We hope these changes simplify things for our existing customers and for new developers evaluating our products. If you already own a SocketTools license and want to upgrade to 7.0, here's what you need to know:

  •  Each SocketTools Edition now includes support for the security features that were previously only available in the Secure Editions.
  • The ActiveX Edition merges the components of both the Visual Edition and Scripting Edition. Developers who currently have either of those editions are directed to upgrade to the ActiveX Edition.
  •  Each product includes both 32-bit and 64-bit components and/or libraries. Even if you aren't currently developing software for 64-bit Windows, it will be there when you're ready to make that transition.
  •  There is a single upgrade price, regardless of your current version or if you previously owned a Standard or Secure Edition of your product.

Customers with an active SocketTools Subscription will be able to download the new version for free as part of the subscription service.

Windows 7 Compatible

If you have customers who have upgraded their systems to use Windows 7, or are buying new computers, then we recommend that you upgrade to SocketTools 7.0 to ensure that your applications are fully compatible with Windows 7. This latest version of Windows includes enhanced security features and an updated TCP/IP networking stack, and SocketTools 7.2 has been tested extensively to ensure that your programs will work correctly under Windows 7, along with Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3.

We have been using Windows 7 along with Visual Studio 2010 as our primary development platform since release, and we were involved with beta testing before that. As a developer, there are things that you can do to help ensure compatibility with this new version of Windows, and upgrading to SocketTools 7.0 is a significant part of that.

SocketTools .NET

For developers targeting the .NET Framework, SocketTools 7.2 includes managed code assemblies for the .NET 1.1 Framework using Visual Studio .NET 2003, and the .NET 2.0 Framework which can be used with Visual Studio 2005, Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Studio 2010. This gives you the freedom to target the specific framework that you're using, and if you upgrade to the latest version of Visual Studio, you can make the transition seamlessly. The class interfaces are identical, making the migration to the current version of Visual Studio a simple, straight-forward process. Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows are supported, so you can decide to specifically target either the x86 or x64 platform, or have your application target any platform. Everything you need for .NET development is included in the single SocketTools package.

Order the Upgrade

If you have any questions about SocketTools 7.2, visit our technical support forums or you can contact us directly. We have special upgrade pricing available to current SocketTools customers and you can order your upgrade online. If you place your order during business hours, you'll get your new product serial number within the hour. If you're currently evaluating SocketTools, make sure you have downloaded the current release and it'll extend your evaluation period for another thirty days.
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