| Networking Extensions
Each time the APIs are further standardized in a particular area, it becomes easier to write significant new applications. Because of the variety of networking layers, ranging from network card interfaces and protocol stacks to the wide array of network IPC mechanisms, networking is probably the most confusing interface for developers today. Windows 32 will include standard network APIs that can replace those that network providers have previously needed to supply. Windows 32 will expose driver-style interfaces similar to the WinNet APIs provided by Windows Version 3.0 so that third-party vendors can plug their network services into the Windows open architecture.
Some of the new, 32-bit WinNet APIs being defined are file, print, named pipes, mailslots, server browsing and machine configuration. This means applications can rely on a consistent programming interface regardless of the underlying network. Even if a network is not present, the APIs are still available and will return appropriate error codes.
The Windows 32-Bit API includes peer-to-peer named pipes, mailslots, and APIs to enable RPC (Remote Procedure Call) compilers. With Windows 32, a mail-server vendor can build a messaging service on named pipes and asynchrononous communication that will run on top of any network operating system, protocol stack, or network card — each of which could come from a different network vendor.
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