Network library calls enable an application program to locate and construct network addresses while using interprocess communication facilities in a distributed environment.
Locating a service on a remote host requires many levels of mapping before client and server can communicate. A network service is assigned a name that is intended to be understandable for a user. This name and the name of the peer host must then be translated into network addresses. Finally, the address must then be used to determine a physical location and route to the service.
Network library calls map:
Additional network library calls exist to simplify the manipulation of names and addresses.
An application program must include the <NETDB.H> file when using any of the network library calls.
Note: All networking services return values in standard network byte order.