I
n this chapter, you will learn about dsSocket, the Winsock ActiveX control included with this
book. You will learn how to create both client and server applications quickly and easily.
dsSocket was first released as a shareware VBX for VB 3.0. The implementation is the best I’ve
ever seen, but you should be aware that unregistered copies exhibit a quite annoying splash
screen when loaded into memory. It will cost you a fee for the registered version, which does not
have a splash screen. In my opinion, it is well worth it. If you are just going to mess around with
Winsock and the Internet, you may be willing to live with the splash screen, but it is not wise to
ship a commercial application that displays someone else’s logo when it starts up. If you wish to
purchase a registered copy of dsSocket, you can call, write, or e-mail Dolphin Systems at:
Dolphin Systems
20132 Shaws Creek Rd.
Alton, Ontario L0N 1A0
Phone: (519) 942-0344
Fax: (519) 942-8111
E-mail: stephenc@dophinsys.com
I should point out that Microsoft does ship a Winsock control with Visual Basic. The reason that
I don’t recommend it is because it is not complete enough to use in a real-world situation.
dsSocket, on the other hand, has been used in the real world by its designers, is bug-free, and has
been well-supported since version 1.0.
Why Not Use the Winsock API?
This is a good question. Ambitious programmers may want to use the Winsock API directly from
Visual Basic, but it requires more work. However, if you want to maintain the ultimate level of
control, I recommend using Spyworks from Desaware, Inc. It comes with Winsock objects
