number. And that's what you should normally do---use the default.
@end itemize
+Throughout the following description at various places
+variables/parameters to denote sizes are required. And here the trouble
+starts. In the first implementations the type of these variables was
+simply @code{int}. This type was on almost all machines of this time 32
+bits wide and so a de-factor standard required 32 bit variables. This
+is important since references to variables of this type are passed to
+the kernel.
+
+But now the POSIX people came and unified the interface with their words
+"all size values are of type @code{size_t}". But on 64 bit machines
+@code{size_t} is 64 bits wide and so variable references are not anymore
+possible.
+
+A solution provides the Unix98 specification which finally introduces a
+type @code{socklen_t}. This type is used in all of the cases in
+previously changed to use @code{size_t}. The only requirement of this
+type is that it is an unsigned type of at least 32 bits. Therefore,
+implementations which require references to 32 bit variables be passed
+can be as happy as implementations which right from the start of 64 bit
+values.
+
+
@node Communication Styles
@section Communication Styles
@comment sys/socket.h
@comment BSD
-@deftypefun int bind (int @var{socket}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, size_t @var{length})
+@deftypefun int bind (int @var{socket}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, socklen_t @var{length})
The @code{bind} function assigns an address to the socket
@var{socket}. The @var{addr} and @var{length} arguments specify the
address; the detailed format of the address depends on the namespace.
@comment sys/socket.h
@comment BSD
-@deftypefun int getsockname (int @var{socket}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, size_t *@var{length-ptr})
+@deftypefun int getsockname (int @var{socket}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, socklen_t *@var{length-ptr})
The @code{getsockname} function returns information about the
address of the socket @var{socket} in the locations specified by the
@var{addr} and @var{length-ptr} arguments. Note that the
@comment sys/socket.h
@comment BSD
-@deftypefun int connect (int @var{socket}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, size_t @var{length})
+@deftypefun int connect (int @var{socket}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, socklen_t @var{length})
The @code{connect} function initiates a connection from the socket
with file descriptor @var{socket} to the socket whose address is
specified by the @var{addr} and @var{length} arguments. (This socket
@comment sys/socket.h
@comment BSD
-@deftypefun int accept (int @var{socket}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, size_t *@var{length-ptr})
+@deftypefun int accept (int @var{socket}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, socklen_t *@var{length-ptr})
This function is used to accept a connection request on the server
socket @var{socket}.
@comment sys/socket.h
@comment BSD
-@deftypefun int sendto (int @var{socket}, void *@var{buffer}. size_t @var{size}, int @var{flags}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, size_t @var{length})
+@deftypefun int sendto (int @var{socket}, void *@var{buffer}. size_t @var{size}, int @var{flags}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, socklen_t @var{length})
The @code{sendto} function transmits the data in the @var{buffer}
through the socket @var{socket} to the destination address specified
by the @var{addr} and @var{length} arguments. The @var{size} argument
@comment sys/socket.h
@comment BSD
-@deftypefun int recvfrom (int @var{socket}, void *@var{buffer}, size_t @var{size}, int @var{flags}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, size_t *@var{length-ptr})
+@deftypefun int recvfrom (int @var{socket}, void *@var{buffer}, size_t @var{size}, int @var{flags}, struct sockaddr *@var{addr}, socklen_t *@var{length-ptr})
The @code{recvfrom} function reads one packet from the socket
@var{socket} into the buffer @var{buffer}. The @var{size} argument
specifies the maximum number of bytes to be read.
@comment sys/socket.h
@comment BSD
-@deftypefun int getsockopt (int @var{socket}, int @var{level}, int @var{optname}, void *@var{optval}, size_t *@var{optlen-ptr})
+@deftypefun int getsockopt (int @var{socket}, int @var{level}, int @var{optname}, void *@var{optval}, socklen_t *@var{optlen-ptr})
The @code{getsockopt} function gets information about the value of
option @var{optname} at level @var{level} for socket @var{socket}.
@comment sys/socket.h
@comment BSD
-@deftypefun int setsockopt (int @var{socket}, int @var{level}, int @var{optname}, void *@var{optval}, size_t @var{optlen})
+@deftypefun int setsockopt (int @var{socket}, int @var{level}, int @var{optname}, void *@var{optval}, socklen_t @var{optlen})
This function is used to set the socket option @var{optname} at level
@var{level} for socket @var{socket}. The value of the option is passed
in the buffer @var{optval}, which has size @var{optlen}.