Lillig & Zahn - CrystalCOMM

CrystalCOMM for Windows is an award winning communication library for Windows. This library allows the developer to simply 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, Paradox, C/C++, SmallTalk, Delphi, FoxPro, SqlBASE, dBFast, 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 Windows. 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 communicate through a modem. The library enables the developer to build custom versions of file transfer facilities, remote host control capability, electronic messaging, electronic mail, bulletin board systems, remote data or file access, and related communication interfaces. CrystalCOMM allows you to control up to nine COM ports each up to a speed of 128K baud. CrystalCOMM can also encrypt the communications stream so that the communication path is secured. CrystalCOMM contains a database of modems so that you can easily integrate your product with a variety of modems.

Features and Benefits

Library is in form of DLLs. This allows you to simply distribute the DLLs with your application. You can call the DLL functions from virtually any Windows language.

High Level Calls

CrystalCOMM provides high level communication calls that make your development effective and powerful. As an example, the 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. The 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. This is power.

Language Support

CrystalCOMM can be called from C, C++, Visual Basic, Delphi, Turbo Pascal for Windows, SmallTalk, GUPTA SQLbase, Paradox, Power Builder, dBFast, Access, FoxBase, and a number of other Windows languages. CrystalCOMM for Windows is written in C for performance and portability purposes. Example programs are provided in the package in C, Access, Visual Basic, and Pascal. Function definition files are provided for C, Access, Visual Basic, Pascal, PowerBuilder, Delphi, and Visual FoxPro.

THUNKING

CrystalCOMM for Windows provides both a set of 16 bit DLLs so that 16 bit languages and tools can access the functions as well as a set of 32 bit DLLs that THUNK down to the 16 bit DLLs. This allows 32 bit languages to use CrystalCOMM for Windows in the Windows 3.x environment. This also allows the developer to develop a single 32 bit application that will run in the Windows, Windows 95, and NT 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 NT/WIN95 products.

Numerous Protocols

CrystalCOMM for Windows provides a number of Communication protocols, including XMODEM, YMODEM, ZMODEM, KERMIT, Super KERMIT, CompuServe B+, TAP (electronic pager protocol), VISA (financial transaction protocol), and CRYSTAL (the super high performance messaging and file transfer protocol).

Modem Database

CrystalCOMM contains a modem database and associated API for over 850 modems. This allows you to have access to the unique
initialization strings, reset strings, compression control strings, error control strings and flow control strings for each modem.

Vendor Support

CrystalCOMM supports a number of COM add on boards including DigiBoard, COMTROL, and others. Any board that provides a Windows compatible driver is supported.

Communication Security

CrystalCOMM provides a byte scrambling security control so that all data and files transfered are transparently encrypted and decrypted at both ends.

No Run-Time Royalties

CrystalCOMM for Windows is licensed on a per developer basis. The DLLs are distributed with your application at no additional charge.

Source Available

The source code for the library is available with the source code version.

System requirements

CrystalCOMM is available for DOS, Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and Windows NT