LR> CAn anyone please explain what "Sockets" is or are?  Who 
LR> implements "Sockets" - what companies.  Thanks much. 

"Sockets" usually refers to Berkeley stream sockets, originally
invented at UCB.  They provide a full-duplex, connection-oriented byte
stream between two processes on the same machine or on different
machines on a TCP/IP network.  If you are familiar with OS/2 named
pipes, sockets are conceptually similar.  A few differences: sockets
are byte streams only (like a serial device, for example), whereas
named pipes will do the (somewhat trivial) wrappering of data into
message units.  Named pipes have names like file names, whereas sockets
are referred to by number.  Under OS/2, named pipes use normal
file/device handles, whereas socket handles live in a different, global
handle space.  So you can't DosWrite a socket, you have to send() on a
socket.  In Unix, device, file and socket handles all live in the same
space, a definite convenience.

In the OS/2 world, you can program with sockets if you have a TCP/IP
package and the programmer's kit for that package.  For example, IBM
TCP/IP 2.0 for OS/2 Base Kit and Programmer's Kit, and a 32-bit C/C++
compiler are all you need to get started.

John
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