+/*
+ * open a connection to the target. If complete is NULL, the connection
+ * will be blocking, and complete will be ignored by the following
+ * primitives. If complete is not null, the connection will be non-blocking.
+ * if the connection cannot be established immediately, *complete will
+ * be set to zero, and the user should call openresult when select signals
+ * that I/O is possible. Returns NULL on a fatal error in the connection
+ * establishment.
+ */
+ZASS zass_open(char *host, int port, int *complete, char *auth);
+
+/*
+ * second half of connection establishment in nonblocking mode.
+ * Returns:
+ * -1 with *complete == 0 : call again when select allows.
+ * -1 with *complete == 1 : fatal error. Abort connection.
+ * 0 : success.
+ */
+int zass_openresult(ZASS a, int *complete);
+
+/*
+ * Return the file handle of the association (for select() & other fun.
+ */
+int zass_fileno(ZASS a);
+
+/*
+ * Returns:
+ * NULL with *complete == 0 : call searchresult when select allows (nonbl. only)
+ * NULL with *complete == 1 : fatal error. Abort connection.
+ * non-null : operation complete.
+ */