question: private Socket connect ( String host , String portString ) throws IOException { int port = 0 ; Socket sock = null ; boolean DEBUG = Debug . debugging ( "netmap" ) ; try { port = Integer . parseInt ( portString , 10 ) ; } catch ( NumberFormatException e ) { if ( DEBUG ) Debug . output ( "Illegal name " + host + ":" + portString ) ; throw new IOException ( "Illegal port: " + portString ) ; } if ( DEBUG ) Debug . output ( "Connecting to server " + host + ":" + port ) ; try { sock = new Socket ( host , port ) ; } catch ( IOException e ) { if ( sock != null ) sock . close ( ) ; if ( DEBUG ) { Debug . output ( "Can't connect to " + host + ":" + port + "\n   " + e ) ; } throw e ; } return sock ; }
target:  A general connection method that returns a socket for a host and port.