New Features in SocketTools 6.0

SocketTools 6.0 introduces support for the SSH protocol, adds several new features and a number of improvements which makes Internet development even easier. The following is an overview of some of the the new features:

  • Support for the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol has been added to the SocketTools Secure Scripting Edition. Applications can establish secure, encrypted connections to a server and execute commands remotely or create an interactive terminal session. The interface for the SSH component was designed to be similar to the Telnet component, making it easy for developers to add support for SSH to an existing application.
  • Support for secure file transfers using SSH (SFTP) has been seamlessly integrated into the FTP component. In most cases, the only thing that an existing application needs to do is establish a connection on the default SSH port, or specify a single option when connecting to the server. A SocketTools Secure Scripting Edition license is required to use the security features in the FTP object.
  • The Mail Message component has been expanded to provide storage methods which enable an application to store, retrieve and search multiple e-mail messages on the local system. The application can use the OpenStore method to create and manage a local mailbox, similar to how many mail clients store messages that have been downloaded from a mail server.
  • Automatic file type detection has been added to the FTP component. This enables the component to automatically set the correct file transfer mode based on the type of file being uploaded or downloaded, without the application explicitly specifying if the file is text or binary. It is also possible to register your own custom file types using the AddFileType method.
  • Automatic file verification has been added to the FTP component. The component can automatically verify that the file on the local system is identical to the file on the server using an MD5 hash or CRC-32 checksum after it has been uploaded or downloaded. The file verification process can also be performed directly by the application using the VerifyFile method. For example, this can be used to determine if it is necessary to upload a file depending on whether or not the contents have changed.
  • Support for virtual hosting has been added through an option to the Connect method. This allows the component to be used with servers that are configured to host multiple domains using the same external IP address.
  • Improved support in the HTTP component for posting XML data to a server, including the ability to post XML data and retrieve the response from the server in a single method call. The new PostXml method makes it easier for applications to submit XML data to a server, without having to worry about setting the correct content type or transfer encoding.

There have also been general improvements in overall performance and efficiency with FTP and HTTP transfers, decreasing the overall transfer times for large files. The core message parsing code in the MIME component has also been improved, enabling it to automatically correct problems with malformed messages, or messages which do not strictly conform to the RFC 822 and/or RFC 2045 standard message formats. The POP3 and IMAP4 components also provide better support for managing a large number of messages on the mail server.


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