System for defining network behaviors within application programs

A graphical interface for programming network communications messages and messaging behavior on a control apparatus coupled to a communications network and operating under control of an application program, said interface comprising:

• a) an icon diagrammatically representing a communications message packet for messaging on said network, including a plurality of data element icons representing data elements within said message and a plurality of messaging control icons representing functions for regulating networking behavior, and
• b) a plurality of ladder logic icons connected to said data element and control icons representing software control logic within the application program for setting data content and regulating message and associated network behavior.

A method of programming network messaging between control devices that are coupled to a packet network and that are operating under control of general purpose software application programs providing the basic application functionality of these devices, comprising the steps of:

• displaying an integrated schematic view of graphical symbols representing software program functions for components within one of said application programs on one of said control devices and graphical symbols representing communications functions regulating packet structure and packet messaging for said network for one of said control devices;
• and
• manipulating said graphical symbols on said integrated schematic view to program said communications functions and control packet messaging from within said general purpose application program.