Custom Development
Getting Started
We frequently receive requests from developers asking for new features, specialized code and assistance in developing applications which use SocketTools. In some cases, you may require a feature or specific functionality that is not included as part of the base SocketTools product.
It may be the case that you're looking to accelerate the development of a specific type of application. A custom development project can provide you with a head start for a new application with a working set of code which follows the best practices for using the components in SocketTools.
The .NET components have an interface that is similar to ActiveX Edition controls, simplifying the process of migrating legacy Visual Basic projects to Visual Basic .NET. Both the x86 and x64 target platforms are supported, or you can have your project target whichever platform your program is currently running on.
We can build projects using Visual Studio 2017 and later versions, including Visual Studio 2022. For projects using the .NET Framework, we support verison 4.5 through 8.0. For long-term support, we currently recommend using Visual Studio 2022 and .NET 6.0.
What type of project are you interested in?
- Windows desktop apps
- Custom client-server services
- Specialized Windows server software
- Secure Internet web services
We'll help you navigate the process of registering your application with Google or Microsoft, obtain the required credentials and then modify your application to use OAuth 2.0. We can work with existing projects which already use SocketTools, as well as help with the creation of new projects.
Â
We can create customized components or libraries that encapsulate the functionality of one or more of our APIs, either as unique shared libraries (DLLs) with a specialized interface, or as completely new .NET class or ActiveX control.
For example, if your application needs to connect to a web server and submit XML data in a specific format for processing, we can provide you with a specialized version of a component with a simplified interface and virtually no learning curve to use in your own projects.
We can extend the interface for a SocketTools component or library, adding additional functions, methods, properties and events specific to the needs of your project. An example of this would be a new function added to one of our APIs in the SocketTools Library Edition or creating a new method and/or event in one of our .NET components.
We can also modify the functionality of an existing component or library. An example of this would be modifying the FTP component to support a custom directory listing format that is unique to a specific server. You would receive a SocketTools development license, along with a compiled version of the component for you to use.
We can develop branded components or libraries specific for your company or application, embedded with your runtime license key. For example, if you use the Library Edition and your software uses multiple APIs, you could request a single shared library (DLL) that combines all the functions included in each library.
If you're using .NET, you could request custom assemblies that follow the same naming conventions as your software. For this type of request, you would receive a development license, along with the compiled component or library using the custom names and versioning information that you've requested.
We can provide you with customized examples and/or code frameworks that provide a specific kind of functionality, which you can then use as the foundation for your own projects. This can either be a complete, working prototype, or simply a collection of routines that you can reuse in your project.
An example would be a customized server application that served as a framework for implementing your own network service. For this type of project, you would receive a development license, the complete source code and compiled executable and/or installation package.
We can assist you with updating code written using older versions of SocketTools and migrating that code to a different development platform. An example would be code written in Visual Basic 6.0 using the SocketTools 3.6 ActiveX controls, migrating it to Visual Basic .NET using the SocketTools .NET components.
We can update previous versions of our components or libraries, replacing them with references to the current version. Your code will be updated to use the new functions or properties, methods and events. For this type of project, the converted code would typically be limited to those functions which use SocketTools, and you would receive a development license for the current version of SocketTools, along with the source modifications made.
Software development is a complex process, and we can help. Our development team has worked with a wide variety of projects and we have extensive experience with networking Windows application development. If you're not sure where to get started, contact us and we can get you pointed in the right direction. We can recommend specific approaches that can be used to create the type of application or service that you need.
For example, consider a project that has the general requirement to automatically upload and download files at certain intervals, and then send a notification email when the transfers are complete. We can recommend what protocols are best to use, provide you with information about the overall approach and specific implementation details. Depending on your needs, we can design a stand-alone application that works in the background, or create a custom component that you could incorporate into your own software.
Quality Solutions
Custom software development is a partnership and we are committed to providing you with the highest quality code and support. We take the time to get to know you, your company and your project's requirements.
We will actively communicate with you throughout the development process to ensure your project goals are being met and you'll receive regular test builds to evaluate functionality and provide feedback. Our mission is to create reliable software and components that are built on-spec, according to your specific needs.
Our commitment to you doesn't end with the delivery of your completed project. We will continue to provide you with technical support and address any issues that may come up during the use or deployment of the software we've created for you.
Cost Effective
We can significantly reduce your development costs and reduce the amount of time it will take to implement the solutions you require. All our projects are fixed cost, providing you with a specific timeframe for coding, testing and deployment.
We are confident in our ability to create exactly what you need, within the amount of time that you need it. There are no open-ended contracts or ambiguous development schedules. We will always deliver what we promise, on time and on budget.
Getting Started
We look forward to helping you get started with your new project. If you have any questions, we'll be happy to answer them, and we can also provide more information as well as a general cost estimate.
You can request a free cost estimate for your project today or call us at +1 760 228-9653. Once the specifics of the project have been established, we'll send you a contract to review and sign, and work on your project will begin.