includefile(include/header)

COMMENT(manpage, section, releasedate, archive, short name)
manpage(FBB::InetAddress)(3bobcat)(_CurYrs_)(libbobcat-dev__CurVers_-x.tar.gz)
                    (Network Byte Order)

manpagename(FBB::InetAddress)
            (Converting between host byte order and network byte order)

manpagesynopsis()
    bf(#include <bobcat/inetaddress>)nl()
    Linking option: tt(-lbobcat) 

manpagedescription()
    Computers differ their word-byte order, called `endianness'. A
little-endian computer has its least significant byte at the byte having the
lower address of a two-byte value, whereas a big-endian computer has its least
significant byte at at the byte having the higher address of a two-byte
value. In order to allow these computers to communicate over over Internet,
em(host byte order) was designed. Objects of the class bf(FBB::InetAddress)
may be used to convert between network byte order and host byte order (and
vice versa).

    The class only has a few public members. Most members are protected, and
bf(FBB::InetAddress) is therefore primarily used as a base class from which
other classes are derived. In practice there will be little need to construct
objects of the class bf(FBB::InetAddress), which is primarily a support class
for the bf(FBB) socket-classes.

    Internally, all data are stored in network byte order.

    As the class' constructors depend on the proper functioning of members of
the bf(FBB:GetHostent) class, the class' objects can only be constructed when
the host whose name or address is searched can be resolved by a name
resolution process, e.g., bf(bind)(1).

    Objects of the class bf(FBB::InetAddress) store address information about
a host in a bf(struct sockaddr_in) data member. A bf(struct sockaddr_in) is
the data type used to represent socket addresses in the Internet namespace.
It has the following members:
    itemization(
    itb(sa_family_t sin_family)
        This identifies the address family or format of the socket
        address.  It holds the value bf(AF_INET).
    itb(struct in_addr sin_addr)
        This is the Internet address of the host machine stored as a binary
        value. 
    itb(size_t short int sin_port)
        This field holds the port number.
    )

includefile(include/namespace)

manpagesection(INHERITS FROM)
    -

manpagesection(PROTECTED CONSTRUCTORS)
    itemization(
    itb(InetAddress(std::string const &host, uint16_t port))
        This constructor expects a host name or dotted decimal address and 
and an (size_t) port number, and determines the host's address
information. An bf(FBB::Exception) exception is thrown if the address could not be
determined. 
    itb(InetAddress(uint16_t port))
        This constructor constructs the `generic' address information that is
used when constructing, e.g. server sockets.
    itb(InetAddress(sockaddr_in const &address))
        This constructor constructs an bf(FBB::InetAddress) object from an
initialized bf(sockaddr_in) object. It is primarily used to promote a
bf(sockaddr_in) to an bf(FBB::InetAddresss).
    )

    The (public) copy constructor is available.

manpagesection(MEMBER FUNCTIONS)
    itemization(
    itb(uint16_t port() const)
        Accessor returning the object's port value.
    itb(std::string dottedDecimalAddress() const)
        Accessor returning the object's Internet address as a dotted decimal
string. If the address could not be determined, an bf(FBB::Exception) object is
thrown. 
    itb(size_t size() const)
        Accessor returning the size of the object's bf(sockaddr_in) (address)
information. 
    itb(sockaddr const *sockaddrPtr() const)
        Accessor returning the pointer to the object's bf(sockaddr) data
member. 
    itb(sockaddr_in const *sockaddr_inPtr() const)
        Accessor returning the pointer to the object's bf(sockaddr_in) data
member. 
    )

manpagesection(PROTECTED MEMBER FUNCTIONS)
    itemization(
    itb(sockaddr *sockaddrPtr())
        This member returns the object's address information as a pointer to a
modifiable bf(struct sockaddr). This allows (contrary to the public member
having the same name) derived objects to manipulate the object's address
information directly.
    itb(sockaddr_in *sockaddr_inPtr())
        This member returns the object's address information as a pointer to a
modifiable bf(struct sockaddr_in). This allows (contrary to the public member
having the same name) derived objects to manipulate the object's address
information directly.
    )

manpagesection(EXAMPLE)
    verbinclude(../../inetaddress/driver/driver.cc)

manpagefiles()
    em(bobcat/inetaddress) - defines the class interface

manpageseealso()
    bf(bind)(1), bf(bobcat)(7), bf(gethostent)(3bobcat),
    bf(socketbase)(3bobcat) 

manpagebugs()
    None Reported.

includefile(include/trailer)
