Sockets with WinSock

[Labdabeta]

I am trying to understand how sockets work with winsock, but I just don't get it. I basically want to be able to create these functions:

SomeDataType ConnectToComputer(const char *ConnectionName);//connect to the connection named ConnectionName
SomeDataType CreateConnection(const char *ConnectionName);//create a connection called ConnectionName
bool ReadData(SomeDataType, unsigned char *outdata, int outsize);//read outsize bytes into outdata from the connection and return on success
void SendData(SomeDataType, unsigned char *data, int datalen);//send the data to the connection

Basically this is what I want to be able to do with those functions:

//This is called by the first computer to 'join' the room
SomeDataType myConnection=CreateConnection("My Room Name");
SendData(myConnection,"Connection up!",14);
vector<string> names;
unsigned char *buffer=new unsigned char[255];
while (ReadData(myConnection,buffer,255))
{
    names.push_back(string(buffer));
}
cout<<"The names of those in this connection are:"<<endl;
for (int i=0; i<names.size(); ++i)
    cout<<"\t"<<names[i]<<endl;


//This is called by the other computers to 'join' the room
SomeDataType myConnection=ConnectToComputer("My Room Name");
unsigned char *buffer=new unsigned char[255];
while (!ReadData(myConnection,buffer,14));
if (!stringsAreEqual(buffer,"Connection up!"))
    return -1;//this is the wrong room! It is not following the rules!
SendData(myConnection,"myName",6);//now the host will say my name to the screen

How do you do this? (I am willing to modify the functions)

[Ancient Dragon]

Have you worked through some winsock tutorials? (click this)

[Labdabeta]

I have looked at a few winsock tutorials, I just do not understand them at all. None of them really give great explanations of how sockets work. For example how can I send data to a bunch of different computers at once. And how can I check if they have read it. I have very little understanding of how wireless stuff works, any explanation would be greatly appreciated.

[Labdabeta]

I thought I should clarify a bit. I want to understand how to do this (or how to change it to do a similar task):

class Server
{
    private:
    //what?
    public:
    Server(string name);//create server with name 'name'
    ~Server();//close the server
    void send(unsigned char *data, int datalen);//send data to all the people connected to this server
    bool recieve(unsigned char *data, int &datalen);//recieve whatever data has been sent to the server, return true if there has been data recieved
};
class Client
{
    private:
    //what?
    public:
    Client(string name);//connect to the server named 'name'
    ~Client();//close the client
    void send(unsigned char *data, int datalen);//send data to all the people on the same server
    bool recieve(unsigned char *data, int &datalen);//recieve whatever data has been sent over the server, return true if there has been data recieved
};

The goal is to be able to do something like this:

Computer 1 server.cpp:

Server myServer("Computer1servername");
myServer.send("ONLINE",6);
bool quit=false;
while (!quit)
{
    unsigned char *data;
    int datalen;
    while (myServer.recieve(data,datalen))
    {
        if (compare(data,datalen,"QUIT",4))//assume compare already exists
            quit=true;
    }
}
myServer.send("OFFLINE",7);

Computer 2 client.cpp:

Client myClient("Computer1servername");
unsigned char *data;
int datalen;
while (!myClient.recieve(data,datalen));
if (compare(data,datalen,"ONLINE",6))//assume compare already exists
{
    myClient.send("QUIT",4);
}

I do not want raw source code. I want an understanding of what would be required.