Simple Winsock Tutorial

[Ras]

This tutorial will teach you how to use the Winsock control to make chat programs, multiplayer games, email checkers, and anything else that uses Winsock!

Winsock is a communications 'thingy' that lets you communicate with other computers via network/internet. Using TCP/IP or UDP protocols, you can send data from one computer to another. We will be using the Winsock control with visual basic. First, open up visual basic, then add the Winsock Control. I also assume that you know what a port is...

Add one to your form. Now, make 2 command buttons. Label one 'Connect' and the other 'Host'.

Under the 'connect' button, add the following code:

Host = inputbox("Enter the host's computer name or ip address:")

Port = inputbox("Enter the host's port to connect to:")

Winsock1.connect host, port

That code let you specify the host computers name/ip address, and the port to connect to on it. Now, add the following code to the 'Host' button.

Port = inputbox("What port do you want to host on?")

Winsock1.localport = Port

Winsock1.Listen

If you were to click the 'host' button, it would activate the server and wait for somebody to try to connect.

Now, double click the Winsock control and go to the sub 'winsock1_ConnectionRequest'. Under that ' , put this code.

if winsock1.state <> sckclosed then winsock1.close 'Got to do this to make sure the Winsock control isn't already being used.

winsock1.accept RequestID

That code simply let the client connect. Now, add a 3rd button to the form and call it 'Send'. Under it, add this code.

Text = inputbox("Send what text?")

winsock1.senddata text

When you click that, it sends data to the other computer, no matter if you are the host or the client. You need a way to receive this data on both, so double click the Winsock control, then go to the 'winsock1_RecieveData' sub (or something like that). Put in this code.

winsock1.getdata(data,vbstring,bytestotal)

or is it winsock1.getdata data,vbstring,bytestotal? I think I might be mixing c++ syntax w/ visual basic

msgbox Data

This displays the data that the other user sent you.

I guess I really didn't go in depth with this article, but it is all REALLY simple. Maybe you want to send player coordinates if you are making a multiplayer game, or send messages if it's a chat program that you want to make. Doesn't really matter.

To test this program, compile it, then open 2 instances of it. in one, click the 'host' button and enter the port 100 (Ju ' st because. You could do any port you want (1 to 1000 or higher!))

In the other one, click 'Connect' Then type in 'Localhost' for the server, and the port should be, guess what, 100!

This will create a loop, and you will connect to your self. On one of the instances, click send, then type in a message. No, don't just type in any message, type 'Hello World!'. How original is that? Click OK, then a message box from the other instance should pop up with the same message. You could also use 127.0.0.1 for the host instead of Localhost, because that is the same thing as Localhost, only in an IP address.

I guess this doesn't TEACH you how to make multiplayer games, but at least you know how to now...