CrystalCOMM for WIN32 (NT/WIN95/WIN98/Windows2000/Windows XP) is a communication library for the NT, Windows95, Windows98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, and Windows XP operating systems. This library allows the developer to add asynchronous serial port communications capabilities to their application. This library is in the form of several DLLs so that the library can be called from Access, Visual Basic, VB.NET, Paradox, C/C++, C#.NET SmallTalk, Delphi, FoxPro, SqlBASE, dBFast, Oracle, PowerBuilder, Clipper, Turbo Pascal, and an enormous number of other 4GL languages in the Windows environment. Any language that can call a DLL function passing an integer, a long, or a pointer to a string can use CrystalCOMM for WIN32. The library allows you to simply move characters through a COM interface, to develop scripts to communicate between client and host, or to take advantage of the built-in protocols within the library to send or receive files through a modem. The library enables the developer to build custom applications using file transfer facilities, remote host control capability, electronic messaging, electronic mail, bulletin board systems, remote data or file access, Internet FTP file transfers, and related communication interfaces. CrystalCOMM allows you to control up to 256 COM ports each up to a speed of 460K baud. CrystalCOMM can also encrypt and compress the communications stream so that the communication path is both secured and efficient. CrystalCOMM for WIN32 takes care of your communication needs, your encryption needs, and your compression needs, all in one library. CrystalCOMM contains a database of modems so that you can easily integrate your product with a variety of modems, or you can use our TAPI interface to let the operating system set your modem up for you.
This allows you to simply distribute the DLLs with your application with no run-time royalty. You can call the DLL functions from virtually any Windows language.
CrystalCOMM provides high level communication calls that make your development effective and powerful. As an example, our scripting calls (ComStimulus( )) allows you to look for a string to come in the port, and automatically sends a response string to the other side. This allows you to easily connect and control a BBS with a few scripting calls. Our peek functions allow you to peek for characters or particular strings that may have come into the port buffer. Our file transfer protocols allow you to send or receive packet at a time so that you can keep several sessions or transfers going concurrently from the same application. For C/C++ programers we even provide message or callback events for particular characters or strings that may have come into the port. This is power.
CrystalCOMM can be called from C, C++, C#.NET, Visual Basic, VB.NET, Delphi, Turbo Pascal for Windows, SmallTalk, GUPTA SQLbase, Paradox, Power Builder, dBFast, Access, FoxBase, xBASE, and a number of other Windows languages. CrystalCOMM for WIN32 is written in C for performance and portability purposes. Numerous example programs are provided in the package in C, C#.NET, VB.NET, Access, Visual Basic, and Visual FoxPro. Function definition files are provided for C/C++, C#, Access, Centura SQLWIN, dBASE, Delphi, Visual Basic, VB.NET, Pascal, PowerBuilder, Paradox, Oracle, xBASE, Visual FoxPro, and Visual Objects.
CrystalCOMM for WIN32 is designed and built for the NT, Windows95, Windows98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, and Windows XP 32 bit operating system environments. The DLLs are designed to be thread safe and callable from multiple threads concurrently. CrystalCOMM itself spins off a user controllable thread to handle the low level port interface. CrystalCOMM will naturally take advantage of multiple processors if provided.
CrystalCOMM for WIN32 provides both a set of 32 bit DLLs so that 32 bit languages and tools can access the functions as well as a set of 16 bit DLLs that THUNK up to the 32 bit DLLs. This allows 16 bit languages to use CrystalCOMM for WIN32 in the WIN32 environments. This also allows the developer to develop a single 16 bit application that will run in all WIN32 environments with no change to the application. You simply replace the DLLs for the different environments using the CrystalCOMM for Windows as well as the CrystalCOMM for WIN32 products.
We allow you to connect to the port or to another site using TAPI. TAPI allows you to use the systems knowledge of the modem and initialization setup in establishing the connection. CrystalCOMM also allows you to come up in Auto-Answer mode with TAPI, something the few other libraries will allow you to do.
CrystalCOMM provides a number of Communication protocols, including XMODEM, YMODEM, ZMODEM, KERMIT, Super KERMIT, CompuServe B+, TAP (electronic pager protocol), TAP HOST protocol (for the host end of electronic paging), VISA (financial transaction protocol), VISA II, VISA NET, VISA HOST (the host end of the VISA protocol), CRYSTAL (our own super high performance messaging and file transfer protocol), and the Internet FTP, HTTP and HTTPS protocols. Functions are provided to even operate the protocols on background threads.
CrystalCOMM for WIN32 provides the FTP and HTTP (also HTTPS) Internet Communication protocols. Functions allow you to autodial and connect to the Internet, connect to an FTP (or HTTP) site, change or add or delete directories, rename or delete or send or receive files in either binary or ASCI mode, and enumerate the files with file attributes within an FTP directory. Functions are provided to even operate the FTP protocol on background threads. HTTP allows your to both send or receive files in either binary or ASCI mode from the HTTP site.
CrystalCOMM contains a modem database and associated API for over 2400 modems. This allows you to have access to the unique initialization strings, reset strings, c ompression control strings, error control strings and flow control strings for each modem.
CrystalCOMM supports a number of COM add on boards including DigiBoard, COMTROL, and others. Any board that provides a WIN32 compatible driver is supported.
CrystalCOMM provides a powerful byte scrambling security control so that all data and files transfered are transparently encrypted and decrypted at both ends. We now support up to 512 bit encryption for files that are to be sent. Our fast encryption algoritym will encrypt/decrypt megabyte files in less than a second. Functions are provided to encrypt strings, buffers, and files.
CrystalCOMM provides a powerful compression routine to compress you files before you send them. This provides more sophisticated compression than modems achieve so that you are ultimately sending your files faster.
CrystalCOMM for WIN32 is licensed on a per developer basis. Our DLLs are distributed with your application at no additional charge.
The source code for our library is available with our source code version. Note that the source for all example programs is in both the object version as well as the source version.
CrystalCOMM for WIN32 comes with a manual containing tutorial information and reference material on each of the function calls within the library.
Crystal Software provides excellent technical support and advice at no additional charge. You will not believe the quality of technical support Crystal Software provides.
CrystalCOMM for WIN32 $200. Source version $400.