### Method

# Gio SocketClient connect_to_host

since: 2.22

#### Declaration

    GSocketConnection*
    g_socket_client_connect_to_host (
      GSocketClient* client,
      const gchar* host_and_port,
      guint16 default_port,
      GCancellable* cancellable,
      GError** error
    )

#### Description

This is a helper function for g_socket_client_connect().

Attempts to create a TCP connection to the named host.

`host_and_port` may be in any of a number of recognized formats; an IPv6 address, an IPv4 address, or a domain name (in which case a DNS lookup is performed). Quoting with [] is supported for all address types. A port override may be specified in the usual way with a colon. Ports may be given as decimal numbers or symbolic names (in which case an /etc/services lookup is performed).

If no port override is given in `host_and_port` then `default_port` will be used as the port number to connect to.

In general, `host_and_port` is expected to be provided by the user (allowing them to give the hostname, and a port override if necessary) and `default_port` is expected to be provided by the application.

In the case that an IP address is given, a single connection attempt is made. In the case that a name is given, multiple connection attempts may be made, in turn and according to the number of address records in DNS, until a connection succeeds.

Upon a successful connection, a new `GSocketConnection` is constructed and returned. The caller owns this new object and must drop their reference to it when finished with it.

In the event of any failure (DNS error, service not found, no hosts connectable) `NULL` is returned and `error` (if non-`NULL`) is set accordingly.

Available since: 2.22

#### Parameters

`host_and_port`

  Type: `const gchar*`

  The name and optionally port of the host to connect to.

  The data is owned by the caller of the method.
  The value is a NUL terminated UTF-8 string.

`default_port`

  Type: `guint16`

  The default port to connect to.

`cancellable`

  Type: `GCancellable`

  A `GCancellable`, or `NULL`.

  The argument can be `NULL`.
  The data is owned by the caller of the method.

`error`

  Type: `GError **`

  The return location for a recoverable error.

  The argument can be `NULL`.
  If the return location is not `NULL`, then you must initialize it to a `NULL` `GError*`.
  The argument will be left initialized to `NULL` by the method if there are no errors.
  In case of error, the argument will be set to a newly allocated `GError`; the caller will take ownership of the data, and be responsible for freeing it.

#### Return value

Type: `GSocketConnection`

A `GSocketConnection` on success, `NULL` on error.

The caller of the method takes ownership of the data, and is responsible for freeing it.