{{fbdoc item="title" value="OPEN TCP"}}----
Opens a TCP client connection and binds it to a file number.

{{fbdoc item="syntax"}}##
	[[KeyPgDeclare|declare]] [[KeyPgFunction|function]] **Open Tcp** ( //options// [[KeyPgAs|as]] [[KeyPgString|string]], **As** [**#**]//filenumber// [[KeyPgAs|as]] [[KeyPgLong|long]] ) [[KeyPgAs|as]] [[KeyPgLong|long]]
##
{{fbdoc item="usage"}}##
	//result// = **Open Tcp**( //options//[,] **As** [**#**]//filenumber// )
	**Open Tcp** //options// **As** [**#**]//filenumber//
##
{{fbdoc item="param"}}
	##//options//##
		A comma-separated string describing the connection.
	##//filenumber//##
		The file number to bind to the connected socket.

{{fbdoc item="ret"}}
	Returns zero (##0##) on success, or a non-zero error code on failure.

{{fbdoc item="desc"}}
	##**Open Tcp**## connects to a TCP server and exposes the socket through FreeBASIC's normal file I/O statements.  Once opened, the file number can be used with ##[[KeyPgPrintPp|Print #]]##, ##[[KeyPgLineinputPp|Line Input #]]##, ##[[KeyPgInputnum|Input()]]##, ##[[KeyPgGetfileio|Get #]]##, and ##[[KeyPgPutfileio|Put #]]##.

	The options string accepts:
		- ##host=//name-or-address//##, required for client connections
		- ##port=//number//##, required
		- ##timeout=//milliseconds//##, optional socket timeout

	Unknown options are ignored so that future TCP options can be added without breaking existing programs.

	For sockets, ##[[KeyPgEof|Eof]]## means that no byte is currently available to read.  Use ##[[KeyPgEoc|Eoc]]## to test whether the peer has closed the connection.

{{fbdoc item="ex"}}
	See ##examples/network/opentcp/http-get.bas##.

{{fbdoc item="target"}}
	- TCP support is not available on all targets.  Programs that need to be portable should use target defines such as ##__FB_DOS__##, ##__FB_JS__##, and ##__FB_XBOX__## where appropriate.

{{fbdoc item="diff"}}
	- New to ""FreeBASIC"".

{{fbdoc item="see"}}
	- ##[[KeyPgOpenTcpServer|Open Tcp Server]]##
	- ##[[KeyPgTcpAccept|Tcp Accept]]##
	- ##[[KeyPgEoc|Eoc]]##
	- ##[[KeyPgOpen|Open]]##

{{fbdoc item="back" value="CatPgFile|File I/O Functions"}}