Class methods: creation

fromString: aDottedString

Converts a string into an Internet address and returns it in a created socket address struct. Answer the new sciSocketAddress. Answers a string in an Internet dot format.

The operation fromString: interprets a string with the Internet standard '.' notation, and answers an integer suitable for use as Internet addresses and Internet network numbers, respectively. The operation fromString: then sets the address of the new instance to the converted address.

Network address values specified using the . notation take one of the following forms:

a.b.c.d

a.b.c

a.b

a

When four parts are specified, each part is interpreted as a byte of data and assigned, from left to right, to the four bytes of an Internet address.

When a three part address is specified, the last part is interpreted as a 16-bit quantity and placed in the right most two bytes of the network address. This makes the three part address format convenient for specifying Class B network addresses as 128.net.host.

When a two part address is supplied, the last part is interpreted as a 24-bit quantity and placed in the right most three bytes of the network address. This makes the two part address format convenient for specifying Class A network addresses as net.host.

When only one part is given, the value is stored directly in the network address without any byte rearrangement.

All numbers supplied as "parts" in a '.' notation may be decimal, octal, or hexadecimal, as specified in the C language (that is, a leading 0x or 0X implies hexadecimal; otherwise, a reading 0 implies octal; otherwise, the number is interpreted as decimal).

family: aFamily

Answers a new sciSocketAddress. Only the family field is initialized.

aFamily

Currently, only the AFINET family is currently supported.