This is a free update for customers using version 7.x, and is a complete package that replaces the previous version. Note that because of the version change, we recommend that you uninstall the previous version of SocketTools before installing 7.2. This update also applies to the related products such as SocketWrench, SocketTools File Transfer and SocketTools Internet Mail.

You can download it using the same link that you were provided with when you ordered the software. The release notes are available on our website.

You can download it using the same link that you were provided with when you ordered the software. The release notes are available on our website.

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We understand that most developers can’t immediately switch to the current release, and because SocketTools 7 introduces some very fundamental changes to the product, we need to continue to provide support for version 6.0. We’ve decided to extend the support period for version 6.0, with its end-of-life scheduled for December 31, 2012. Free support will continue to be available after that date, but that will mark the end of paid support and new or renewed support agreements will not be available for version 6.0 from that point forward. This should give everyone almost two years to migrate to the next release and prepare their applications for IPv6 support and/or native 64-bit builds of their software.

Once the SocketTools 7 beta starts in January, the version 6.0 codebase will be feature-locked from that point forward. The only code changes will be to address critical errors, such as bugs that would cause a component to crash (and fortunately those are extremely rare). Any new feature requests would be considered for version 7.0, but won’t be back-ported. At this time, because the current 6.0 release has been very stable, we don’t plan any future service pack releases. That may change if a new critical defect is found in one or more of the components, but right now version 6.0 build 6030 is considered to be the last stable release of the SocketTools 6 product line.

For Visual Basic programmers, the new version of Visual Studio includes some nice features such as implicit line continuation (no more underscore characters to continue lines), auto-implemented class properties, collection initializers and lambda expressions (essentially functions within functions). On the C# side of things, they’ve added support for late binding to dynamic types, and improved interoperability with COM objects. This is a real benefit to C# developers who need to make extensive use of the Office automation APIs, since these changes make it significantly easier to work with. For the most part, the language changes make it easier to do more with less code, and brings VB and C# into parity with one another in terms of language features and overall functionality. Microsoft decided to merge the VB and C# language teams together, ensuring that both languages are “first class citizens” in the .NET universe.

For those who are interested in working with Visual Studio 2010, here’s some useful links:

• Visual Studio 2010 Express Editions
• Visual Studio 2010 Professional
• .NET Framework 4 Installer
• Visual Studio 2010 Help Keyword Index
• Help Viewer Power Tool

Visual Studio 2010 Professional can be installed as a 30-day trial and you can get an additional 60-day extension, if necessary. The Express Editions are free, of course, but are more limited. New projects build with VS2010 will target the .NET 4 Framework, so your end-users would need to have that installed. You could either have them install it using the web installer I linked above, or you could have your own installation program pre-install the framework.

The link to the keyword index addon is something that addresses the one significant negative in VS2010, which is the new help system that they’re using. It lacks an index, and the searching functionality leaves a lot to be desired (for example, there’s no ability to filter search results). This addon adds a panel that provides an index that integrates directly into the IDE, and is really something that should have been included with the product. One caveat is that this addon won’t work with the Express editions because they don’t support tool extensions. The Help Viewer power tool allows you to configure the VIsual Studio 2010 help to use a standalone viewer, rather than your browser. Keep in mind that if you want to make full use of the Help Viewer power tool, make sure that you install all of the Visual Studio documentation locally.

Here is a brief overview of just a few of the major changes that will be coming in the next release. Additional information about SocketTools 7 can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions document on our website.

Native support for 64-bit Windows applications. The SocketTools 7 .NET and Library Editions will include 64-bit editions that can be used to build native 64-bit versions of your applications. Of course, we will continue to offer our 32-bit components as well, allowing developers to target the platforms of their choice.

Support for Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Commonly known as the next generation Internet protocol, IPv6 is designed to eventually replace the current version. IPv6 addresses many of the problems with the current version of the protocol, and adds a number of improvements in terms of routing, network configuration and overall performance. While most of the Internet still uses IPv4, offering support for IPv6 ensures the long-term compatibility of your application software.

Support for Quality of Service functionality. The ability to negotiate and manage the bandwidth allocated to a connection is known as Quality of Service (QoS). This allows an application to prioritize network traffic for mission-critical applications, as well as obtain statistical information about the connection.

Support for the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) protocol. A new library and component will be included that provides a simplified interface to download and parse RSS feeds. RSS has become common place in providing updates to frequently changing content on the Internet, and can also be used programmatically. For example, your application could check an RSS feed to determine if it is running the current version, or if the user should be notified of a new release.

Support for Short Message Service (SMS) text messaging. This component and library enables developers to send short text messages, typically 160 characters or less, to a mobile device. All you need to know is the cell phone number and provide the text that you wish to send. A method for specifying an alternate email gateway server, typically needed for providers outside of the United States, can also be specified if needed.

Support for very large file transfers. Currently, file transfers using protocols like FTP and HTTP are limited to 4GB. In SocketTools 7, these limitations will be removed, enabling applications to upload and download very large files that exceed 4GB.

Support for automatic management of background file transfers. This will enable your application to queue file transfers in the background, without interfering with the current thread of execution. For example, you could have a number of files that you want your software to download at one time. With this option enabled, you request the files as you normally would and the data transfer begins in the background, executing in a separate thread and control is immediately returned to your program. An event is used to signal when the transfer has completed. There’s no need for you to worry about managing multiple threads or worry about writing complex inter-process communication code.

Network protocol improvements and extensions. SocketTools 7 will also include improvements to many of the network protocols, such as support for HTTP compression, Integrated Windows Authentication support and improved session logging and debugging features.

Of course, one of the most common concerns for developers is code compatibility. SocketTools 7 will continue to include all of the components and libraries in the current version and will be source compatible to ensure that upgrading is as easy as possible. This includes continuing support for ActiveX controls and Visual Basic 6.0 (Classic VB). We will continue to support all of the current Windows platforms from Windows 2000 and later, including the new release of Windows 7 in October, 2009. As with previous versions, SocketTools 7 will support side-by-side installation. You can safely install the new version on the same system that already has a previous version of SocketTools installed.

SocketTools 7 is currently under development, and there will be phased beta testing similar to how the beta test for version 6.0 was managed. If you’re a current beta tester, you’ll automatically be invited for the first round of testing. We’ll then open up testing to other developers who are interested in working with the new release. We currently plan on releasing SocketTools 7 in the summer of 2010, although this is subject to change based on the testing process and feedback from developers.

The SocketTools 6.0 Secure Editions introduce new components that implement the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, which can be used to establish a secure, encrypted connection with a server. With an interface that is similar to our Telnet components, you can implement an interactive terminal session, or you can specify that you want a command executed remotely and the output returned to your application. SSH does not require complicated certificate management and is widely supported on most servers today. Of course, the SocketTools Secure Editions continue to also support the SSL and TLS security protocols, providing the widest range of options to developers who require security features for their applications.

The SocketTools Secure Editions also support file transfers using the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, as well as the SSL and TLS protocols. Also commonly referred to as FTP+SSH, the SocketTools file transfer components can be used to connect to an SSH server and upload or download files, obtain directory listings and perform common file management functions. Because support for SFTP is integrated into the existing FTP components, in most cases all you need to do is specify the SSH port number without making any other changes to your code. The same interface is provided for FTP, FTP+SSL and FTP+SSH, making it easy to offer the widest range of options to your users. Another new feature of the File Transfer Protocol components is the ability to verify that the file on the local system is identical to the file on the server using an MD5 hash or CRC-32 checksum, and automatically setting the correct file transfer mode based on the type of file being uploaded or downloaded. Developers can also explicitly verify the contents of a file, and can even register their own custom file types.

One of the most complex tasks in Internet software development is creating a custom server application that can reliably handle a large number of client connections. SocketTools 6.0 introduces a new Internet Server component to simplify the development of custom servers, providing an easy-to-use framework where the only code you need to write is in response to events that are sent to your application. With a single function call, you can create a scalable, multi-threaded, event-driven server that can be used to accept connections from clients anywhere in the world, or just on your local intranet. All of the networking, thread management, synchronization and messaging are handled internally by the framework, allowing you to focus on writing your own code without worrying about the complex details of the server implementation.

Developers who need to create an e-mail application that download and store messages on the local system, the Mail Message (MIME) components and library have been expanded to provide a new storage interface that simplifies the storage, retrieval and management of message. Simply create a new storage file, and begin adding messages to it. When you need to access a stored message, you can reference it by an index number, or you can use functions to search for a particular message that contains a specific header value. For example, you can search the message store for all messages that have been sent by someone with a particular e-mail address. There’s even a compatibility mode where you can import message stores from UNIX mail systems, if needed.

SocketTools 6.0 is fully compatible with both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, and is designed to take advantage of new features introduced in Microsoft’s latest operating system. Our developers use Windows Vista and Visual Studio 2008 as their primary development platform, so we don’t simply test under Vista, we work with the operating system every day and understand how it impacts application development in the real world. Of course, SocketTools is also fully supported under Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000. If your users are upgrading to Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista, then we recommend that you to upgrade to SocketTools 6.0 to ensure compatibility.

For more information, please review the SocketTools FAQ in the support section of our website. We also encourage you to download a free evaluation copy of the SocketTools 6.0 Edition that interests you. The evaluation license is valid for a single development system for 30 days, it is completely functional and can be safely installed side-by-side with earlier versions of SocketTools.