The coding of network applications requires a mastery of communication APIs. One important set of communication APIs, socket APIs, are commonly used for coding C++ network applications. Socket APIs, unfortunately, are difficult to master, due to their procedural nature and inherent complexity. PISCES (Platform Independent Socket ClassES), is a C++ socket library that provides a simplified cross-platform interface to BSD-style socket APIs.
This thesis analyzes the use of the PISCES library as a teaching tool. The PISCES library was refactored, then used as a basis for a series of introductory undergraduate assignments on network programming. Survey results show that the PISCES-based assignments were effective for introducing novice programmers to socket programming. The comparison of PISCES's series of assignments with those of NetCp and Toll's proposals, provide the inherent simplicity and safety involved in using PISCES's series assignments.
","abstract_html":"<p>The coding of network applications requires a mastery of communication APIs. One important set of communication APIs, socket APIs, are commonly used for coding C++ network applications. Socket APIs, unfortunately, are difficult to master, due to their procedural nature and inherent complexity. PISCES (Platform Independent Socket ClassES), is a C<sup>++</sup> socket library that provides a simplified cross-platform interface to BSD-style socket APIs.</p> <p>This thesis analyzes the use of the PISCES library as a teaching tool. The PISCES library was refactored, then used as a basis for a series of introductory undergraduate assignments on network programming. Survey results show that the PISCES-based assignments were effective for introducing novice programmers to socket programming. The comparison of PISCES's series of assignments with those of NetCp and Toll's proposals, provide the inherent simplicity and safety involved in using PISCES's series assignments.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Koritala, Sridhar Chandra"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MS (Master of Science)","degree_level":"Thesis - restricted","degree_discipline":"Computer and Information Science","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2001,"date_issued":"2001-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2001-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:18:50Z","subjects":["Teaching","Sockets","Network Communication","PISCES","Computer Sciences","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/60","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Koritala, Sridhar Chandra"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["1990-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2001-08-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Computer and Information Science"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - restricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MS (Master of Science)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Teaching","Sockets","Network Communication","PISCES","Computer Sciences","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1110/viewcontent/koritalas0726.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/60"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The coding of network applications requires a mastery of communication APIs. One important set of communication APIs, socket APIs, are commonly used for coding C++ network applications. Socket APIs, unfortunately, are difficult to master, due to their procedural nature and inherent complexity. PISCES (Platform Independent Socket ClassES), is a C++ socket library that provides a simplified cross-platform interface to BSD-style socket APIs.
This thesis analyzes the use of the PISCES library as a teaching tool. The PISCES library was refactored, then used as a basis for a series of introductory undergraduate assignments on network programming. Survey results show that the PISCES-based assignments were effective for introducing novice programmers to socket programming. The comparison of PISCES's series of assignments with those of NetCp and Toll's proposals, provide the inherent simplicity and safety involved in using PISCES's series assignments.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An Analysis of PISCES (Platform Independent Socket ClassES) as a Teaching Tool."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Koritala, Sridhar Chandra"],"dc:date.available":["1990-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2001-08-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The coding of network applications requires a mastery of communication APIs. One important set of communication APIs, socket APIs, are commonly used for coding C++ network applications. Socket APIs, unfortunately, are difficult to master, due to their procedural nature and inherent complexity. PISCES (Platform Independent Socket ClassES), is a C++ socket library that provides a simplified cross-platform interface to BSD-style socket APIs.
This thesis analyzes the use of the PISCES library as a teaching tool. The PISCES library was refactored, then used as a basis for a series of introductory undergraduate assignments on network programming. Survey results show that the PISCES-based assignments were effective for introducing novice programmers to socket programming. The comparison of PISCES's series of assignments with those of NetCp and Toll's proposals, provide the inherent simplicity and safety involved in using PISCES's series assignments.
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