Ch11.10.4: Protocol Support in fast_io

Unlike Boost.Asio which focuses primarily on TCP and UDP, fast_io’s socket API supports a wide range of protocols through the OS’s native socket interface:

• TCP — Reliable, connection-oriented streams (most common)
• UDP — Unreliable, connectionless datagrams (fast, low overhead)
• Unix domain sockets — Local inter-process communication (POSIX)
• Bluetooth — Bluetooth sockets (where supported by OS)
• Raw sockets — Direct access to IP/ICMP/etc. (requires root/admin)
• Other protocols — Any protocol supported by the OS’s socket API

The key difference: fast_io wraps the OS’s socket interface directly, so you get access to everything the OS supports. You’re not limited to a hardcoded list of protocols.

For TCP and UDP, fast_io provides convenience functions like tcp_connect(), tcp_listen(), and DNS resolution. For other protocols, you can construct socket files directly from the OS’s socket handles.