SocketTools 12 Release Notes​

  • Added support for xAI (Grok) as a Large Language Model service provider.
  • Updated the LLM API to support latest models released by OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI.
  • Updated the internal list of default models for all providers.
  • Removed references to the logging library which is no longer necessary in version 12.
  • Corrected an an internal licensing issue with SocketWrench so it recognizes the correct licensing group.
  • Corrected a potential deadlock situation in the InternetServer, HttpServer and FtpServer components.
  • Corrected an issue which could cause AES-256 encryption to fail unexpectedly with specific input buffer sizes.
  • Changed how progress events are generated for SSH connections to prevent excessive callback notifications.
  • Changed how socket I/O buffers are allocated for SFTP to mitigate potential packet fragmentation.
  • Corrected an issue which could cause the initial SSH and SFTP negotiation to timeout or take extended periods of time.
  • When TLS 1.3 is explicitly requested and not supported, TLS 1.2 will be automatically negotiated rather than returning an error.
  • Corrected an internal buffer overrun which could occur with certain HTTP requests, notably the PUT and PATCH methods.
  • Changed the InetIsReadable function and SocketWrench IsReadable property to be more reliable when polling secure socket connections.
  • Updated the installer to display a warning message when a shared drive or UNC network path is specified.
  • Corrected an issue which could prevent the C/C++ header files from being updated by the installer.
  • Updated SocketWrench async socket I/O function documentation to clarify they are not being removed from the API.
  • Updated the Markdown documentation for the SocketTools APIs.
  • Minor updates and corrections to the HTML Help and PDF documentation.
  • Added native ARM64 support for the SocketTools libraries, .NET classes and ActiveX controls.
  • Added a new Large Language Model (LLM) client API, .NET class and ActiveX control.
  • Added a new WebView API and ActiveX control based on the Microsoft Edge WebView2 runtime.
  • Inlcudes support for Visual Studio 2026 and the current .NET 10 release.
  • Added HTTP/3 support to the HTTP client.
  • TLS 1.3 is now always preferred by default on Windows platforms that support it.
  • TLS 1.2 is only used as the compatibility fallback when TLS 1.3 is unavailable.
  • TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 remain supported but must be explicitly enabled by the application.
  • Applications that explicitly require TLS 1.0 or TLS 1.1 must request those protocol versions; they are no longer part of the default secure protocol selection.
  • Applications should always use TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3 for secure connections whenever possible.
  • Removed internal support for obsolete SSL protocols.
  • Added support for Windows security zone information (Mark of the Web) associated with downloaded files.
  • Added InetGetVpnAdapter to determine whether a network adapter represents a VPN connection.
  • Added FTP_FEATURE_XSHA1 for servers that support SHA-1 file verification extensions.
  • Added FTP_FEATURE_HASH for servers that support the HASH command.
  • Changed default FTP text encoding to use UTF-8 rather than ANSI text.
  • Added FtpGetDefaultZoneId to obtain the default security zone assigned to downloaded files.
  • Added FtpSetDefaultZoneId to change the default security zone assigned to downloaded files.
  • Added FtpGetSecurityZoneId to determine the security zone associated with a URL.
  • Added FtpGetFileZoneInfo to obtain security zone information for a local file.
  • Added FtpSetFileZoneInfo to set security zone information for a local file.
  • Added FtpGetFilePathUrl to obtain the URL associated with a downloaded local file.
  • Added FtpNormalizePath to normalize an FTP file path.
  • Added FtpNormalizeUrl to normalize an FTP URL.
  • Added FtpGetIdleTimeout to obtain the current FTP idle timeout.
  • Added FtpSetIdleTimeout to change the FTP idle timeout.
  • Added HTTP_VERSION_30 for HTTP/3.
  • Added HTTP_OPTION_HTTP3 to request HTTP/3 connections.
  • Added explicit support for UTF-8 encoding and the HTTP_ENCODING_UTF8 option.
  • Added explicit support ANSI encoding using the current code page and the HTTP_ENCODING_ANSI option.
  • Added explicit support for XML URL encoding and the HTTP_ENCODING_XMLURL option.
  • Added HttpPostText for posting text content.
  • Added HttpPostTextEx for posting text content with additional options.
  • Added HttpAsyncPostText for asynchronously posting text content.
  • Added HttpGetDefaultZoneId to obtain the default security zone assigned to downloaded files.
  • Added HttpSetDefaultZoneId to change the default security zone assigned to downloaded files.
  • Added HttpGetSecurityZoneId to determine the security zone associated with a URL.
  • Added HttpGetFileZoneInfo to obtain security zone information for a local file.
  • Added HttpSetFileZoneInfo to set security zone information for a local file.
  • Added HttpGetFilePathUrl to obtain the source URL associated with a downloaded local file.
  • Added HttpNormalizePath to normalize an HTTP URL path.
  • Added HttpNormalizeUrl to normalize an HTTP URL.
  • Added the ZoneId property for the FTP and HTTP components.
  • Added ImapEnumMessageUids to enumerate message unique identifiers (UIDs).
  • Added MimeOpenMessage as the preferred API for opening or creating a MIME message.
  • Added MimeCloseMessage as the preferred API for closing a MIME message.
  • Added MimeParseText as the preferred API for parsing message text.
  • Added MimeGetContentType for obtaining the content type of a MIME message part.
  • Added MimeGetContentTypeEx for obtaining extended content type information.
  • Added MimeIsContentType for testing whether a message part has a specified content type.
  • Added MimeFindMessageText for searching message text.
  • Added MimeFindMessageTextEx for extended message text searching.
  • Added MimeFilterMessageText for filtering message content.
  • Added MimeNormalizeText for normalizing message text.
  • Added MimeGetMessageLinks for extracting links from message content.
  • Added MimeGetAuthenticationResults for obtaining message authentication results.
  • Added MimeCheckAuthenticationResults for checking message authentication status.
  • Added MimeFormatDate64 for formatting a 64-bit message date.
  • Added MimeParseDate64 for parsing a message date into a 64-bit time value.
  • Added MimeGetMessageDateEx for retrieving message date information using extended time values.
  • Added the GetFileZone and SetFileZone methods for the FTP and HTTP components.
  • Added the MailMessage Authentication property for obtaining message authentication results.
  • Added the MailMessage Filter and FilteredText property to control how message contents are filtered.
  • Added the MailMessage Link property array and LinkCount property to enumerate links included in the current message.
  • Added the MailMessage TextLength property to return the number of printable text characters in the current message.
  • Updated the SmtpExpandAddress and SmtpVerifyAddress function prototypes to be consistent with similar functions.
  • The SMTP parameter changes are naming changes only and do not change the calling convention.
  • Updated the Network Time API, .NET class and ActiveX control to support 64-bit time values.
  • Added ConvertNetworkTime64 for converting a 64-bit network time value.
  • Added ConvertSystemTime64 for converting SYSTEMTIME to a 64-bit network time value.
  • Added FormatNetworkTime64 for formatting a 64-bit network time value.
  • Added GetNetworkTime64 for obtaining network time as a 64-bit value.
  • Added ReadNetworkTime64 for reading a 64-bit network time value.
  • Added UpdateLocalTime64 for updating the local system time using a 64-bit network time value.
  • Changed the default port from the legacy Time Protocol port to the NTP port.
  • Changed the default time server hostname from time.nist.gov to pool.ntp.org.
  • Added the SocketWrench VpnAdapter property to determine whether a network adapter represents a VPN connection.
  • Added Base58, Base32, Base85, Base58, Base32 and Z85 file encoding and decoding.
  • Added token encoding constants for Base64, Base58, Base32 and Base85.
  • Added ConvertTextFile to convert text files between supported character encodings.
  • Added GetFileCodePage to determine the character encoding/code page used by a text file.
  • Added CreateUniqueToken to create an encoded random token.
  • Added FilterHtmlFile for filtering HTML content stored in a file.
  • Added FilterHtmlText for filtering HTML text.
  • Added FilterMarkdownFile for filtering Markdown content stored in a file.
  • Added FilterMarkdownText for filtering Markdown text.
  • Added FilterUnicodeText for filtering or normalizing Unicode text.
  • Added IsHtmlText to identify HTML content.
  • Added IsMarkdownText to identify Markdown content.
  • Added IsUnicodeConfusable to identify potentially confusable Unicode characters.
  • Added NormalizeUrl for validating and normalizing URLs.
  • Added IsValidFileUrl for validating file URLs.
  • Added GetFileNameUrl for converting a local file name to a file URL.
  • Added GetUrlFileName for converting a file URL to a local file name.
  • Added CreateCustomGuid for creating a GUID containing a caller-defined value.
  • Added CreateGuidFromString for converting a GUID string to a GUID value.
  • Added CreateSequentialGuid for creating a sequential GUID.
  • Added GetCustomGuidValue for retrieving the custom value stored in a GUID.
  • Added GetFileTimeFromGuid for obtaining a FILETIME value from a GUID.
  • Added GetSystemTimeFromGuid for obtaining a SYSTEMTIME value from a GUID.
  • Added GetTimeFromGuid for obtaining a time_t value from a GUID.
  • Added IsEqualGuidString for comparing a GUID with its string representation.
  • Normalized AesEncryptString and AesDecryptString to use INT instead of LONG for consistency.
  • Normalized EncodeBuffer and DecodeBuffer to use INT instead of LONG for consistency.
  • Added the FileEncoder CreateToken method to generate encoded token values.
  • Added the FileEncoder CreateUuid7 and CreateUuid8 methods to generate v7 and v8 UUID values.
  • Added the FileEncoder FilterHtml method to filter out HTML markup in a string buffer.
  • Added the FileEncoder FilterMarkdown method to filter out markdown in a string buffer.
  • Added the FileEncoder FilterUnicode method to filter out invalid or confusable Unicode text in a string buffer.
  • Added the FileEncoder IsConfusable method to determine if a Unicode string contains confusable Unicode text.
  • Added the FileEncoder IsValidUtf8 method to determine if a string contains valid UTF-8 encoding.
  • Added the FileEncoder StrToUtf8 and Utf8ToStr methods to convert between local and UTF-8 encoded strings.
  • Added C++ wrapper classes for the new LLM and WebView APIs.
  • Added C++ wrapper methods corresponding to the new FTP security zone, path normalization and idle timeout functions.
  • Added C++ wrapper methods corresponding to the new HTTP security zone, URL normalization and text-posting functions.
  • Added C++ wrapper methods corresponding to the new MIME filtering, normalization, content type, link extraction and authentication-result functions.
  • Added C++ wrapper methods corresponding to the new 64-bit Network Time functions.
  • Updated many .NET enumeration members to use PascalCase naming conventions.
  • Retained the previous enumeration names for source compatibility where appropriate and marked them obsolete.
  • For example, ErrorCode.errorNotConnected is superseded by ErrorCode.NotConnected.
  • Changed the .NET classes to use the Unicode versions of the native SocketTools APIs internally.
  • Removed unnecessary internal conversions between ANSI and Unicode strings.
  • Improved consistency when working with Unicode strings and international text.
  • Added native ARM64 interop support for all .NET applications.
  • Added native ARM64 versions of the ActiveX controls.
  • Added the new LLM ActiveX control.
  • Added the new WebView ActiveX control.
  • Updated existing controls to reflect applicable changes and additions made to the underlying SocketTools APIs.
  • Applications should pass NULL for the reserved initialization parameter.
  • The Remote Shell (RSH) API, C++ class, .NET class and ActiveX control are deprecated but retained for compatibility.
  • Applications which currently use RSH should migrate SSH 2.0.
  • Changed the second parameter of API initialization functions from an INITDATA pointer to LPVOID lpvReserved.
  • Removed the deprecated INITDATA, INITDATAA and INITDATAW structures.
  • Removed the LPINITDATA, LPINITDATAA and LPINITDATAW type definitions.
  • Updated C++ initialization methods to pass the new reserved initialization parameter instead of INITDATA.
  • Applications that declared or populated an INITDATA structure must remove that code and pass NULL to the reserved initialization parameter.
  • Applications that already passed NULL as the initialization data argument generally require only recompilation against the SocketTools 12 headers and libraries.
  • Applications relying on the default FTP filename encoding should note that UTF-8 is now the default instead of ANSI.
  • Applications relying on the default Network Time server now use pool.ntp.org instead of time.nist.gov.
  • Applications relying on the default Network Time protocol now use NTP instead of the older Time Protocol.
  • Applications using the affected AES or buffer encoding functions should account for their updated INT return and length parameter types.
  • .NET applications can continue using obsolete enumeration names for compatibility, but should migrate to the new PascalCase names.
  • Updated .NET assemblies to use the current .NET SDKs for .NET 8.0, 9.0 and 10.0.

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