# Introduction

## What is Netxx?

Netxx is a C++ network programming library. It is designed to take the pain out of programming network communications applications. It does this by providing an easy to use and cross-platform interface. As a side effect, you get the safety of automatic resource management and smaller, simpler code.

### Features

- Very clean API with total abstraction from any operating system calls. No networking or operating system headers are used in the Netxx header files.

- Appropriate use of C++ technologies such as namespaces, templates, inheritance and exceptions. All Netxx classes are in the Netxx namespace and exceptions are used only in exceptional situations.

- Includes support for TLS/SSL (via OpenSSL), IPv6 and Local/Unix Domain Sockets (on operating systems that support them).

- Cross-platform support. Netxx currently supports most flavors of Unix, Windows and MacOS X.

- An IOStreams streambuf is provided so you can treat network connections just like a std::iostream.

- Berkeley style license so you can do whatever you want with Netxx, including commercial use.