Network Interface

How easy is it to interface with the network using c++.

I want to send and receive data from two independat programs both that can be written in c++ where they are linked by the data that is being sent.

I want to be able to communicate over LAN's as well as the internet and prehaps set up a server / client applications which allows data transfer. This software ideally needs to be portable between platforms.

Thanks

Simon

If you use Winsock then it's pretty compatible with other systems that use the "socket" paradigm.

That assumes that you're using TCP/IP, though (not totally unreasonable).