NAME

       FBB::InetAddress - Converting between host byte order and network byte order

SYNOPSIS

       #include <bobcat/inetaddress>
       Linking option: -lbobcat

DESCRIPTION

       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, host byte order was  designed.  Objects  of  the
       class  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  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 FBB::InetAddress, which is primarily a support class for  the  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 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., bind(1).

       Objects of the class FBB::InetAddress store address information about a host in a struct sockaddr_in data
       member. A struct sockaddr_in is the data  type  used  to  represent  socket  addresses  in  the  Internet
       namespace.  It has the following members:

       o      sa_family_t sin_family:
              This identifies the address family or format of the socket address.  It holds the value AF_INET.

       o      struct in_addr sin_addr:
              This is the Internet address of the host machine stored as a binary value.

       o      size_t short int sin_port:
              This field holds the port number.

NAMESPACE

       FBB
       All  constructors,  members,  operators  and manipulators, mentioned in this man-page, are defined in the
       namespace FBB.

INHERITS FROM

       -

PROTECTED CONSTRUCTORS

       o      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  FBB::Exception exception is thrown if the
              address could not be determined.

       o      InetAddress(uint16_t port):
              This constructor constructs the `generic’ address information that is used when constructing, e.g.
              server sockets.

       o      InetAddress(sockaddr_in const &address):
              This  constructor constructs an FBB::InetAddress object from an initialized sockaddr_in object. It
              is primarily used to promote a sockaddr_in to an FBB::InetAddresss.

       The (public) copy constructor is available.

MEMBER FUNCTIONS

       o      uint16_t port() const:
              Accessor returning the object’s port value.

       o      std::string dottedDecimalAddress() const:
              Accessor returning the object’s Internet address as a dotted decimal string. If the address  could
              not be determined, an FBB::Exception object is thrown.

       o      size_t size() const:
              Accessor returning the size of the object’s sockaddr_in (address) information.

       o      sockaddr const *sockaddrPtr() const:
              Accessor returning the pointer to the object’s sockaddr data member.

       o      sockaddr_in const *sockaddr_inPtr() const:
              Accessor returning the pointer to the object’s sockaddr_in data member.

PROTECTED MEMBER FUNCTIONS

       o      sockaddr *sockaddrPtr():
              This member returns the object’s address information as a pointer to a modifiable struct sockaddr.
              This allows (contrary to the public member having the same name) derived objects to manipulate the
              object’s address information directly.

       o      sockaddr_in *sockaddr_inPtr():
              This  member  returns  the  object’s  address  information  as  a  pointer  to a modifiable struct
              sockaddr_in. This allows (contrary to the public member having the same name) derived  objects  to
              manipulate the object’s address information directly.

EXAMPLE

       #include <iostream>

       #include <bobcat/inetaddress>
       #include <bobcat/exception>

       using namespace std;
       using namespace FBB;

       InetAddress X()
       {
           class A: public InetAddress
           {
               public:
               A(uint16_t port)
               :
                   InetAddress(port)
               {}
           };

           return A(2000);
       }

       int main(int argc, char **argv)
       try
       {
           InetAddress const &ia = X();

           cout << "A InetAddress was constructed for port " << ia.port() <<
                   endl;
           cout << "It has the generic `ANY’ address: " <<
                   ia.dottedDecimalAddress() << endl;
       }
       catch (exception const &e)
       {
           cout << "Exception: " << e.what() << endl;
       }

FILES

       bobcat/inetaddress - defines the class interface

SEE ALSO

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

BUGS

       None Reported.

DISTRIBUTION FILES

       o      bobcat_4.08.02-x.dsc: detached signature;

       o      bobcat_4.08.02-x.tar.gz: source archive;

       o      bobcat_4.08.02-x_i386.changes: change log;

       o      libbobcat1_4.08.02-x_*.deb: debian package holding the libraries;

       o      libbobcat1-dev_4.08.02-x_*.deb: debian package holding the libraries, headers and manual pages;

       o      http://sourceforge.net/projects/bobcat: public archive location;

BOBCAT

       Bobcat is an acronym of `Brokken’s Own Base Classes And Templates’.

COPYRIGHT

       This is free software, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).

AUTHOR

       Frank B. Brokken (f.b.brokken@rug.nl).