Using API Methods

How to: Interpret Standard Syntax Format Reference: Syntax Formats for C, C++, Cobol, RPG, and Visual Basic

This chapter lists the API method calls alphabetically. Each description begins with a language-independent representation of the method call syntax. The syntax is shown symbolically as the name of the method, followed by the list of parameters for the call. For information on API Messaging and Queuing, see Messaging and Queuing.

It is important to note that:

• All API method routines operate on pointers to values, not the values themselves. That is, parameters are passed by reference, not value.
• All method parameters are required. That is, each parameter listed must be passed in a call, even if the value pointed to is null.
• All character strings are represented within calling sequences as parameter pairs (address and length), because string termination conventions vary from language to language.

Syntax: How to Interpret Standard Syntax Format

The methods described in this chapter are formatted as follows

methodname (parameter, parameter 

where:

methodname

Is the name of the method call.

parameter

Is a method call parameter. Its type can be input or output. The application programmer provides appropriate values for the input parameters. The API returns values to the output parameters.

Reference: Syntax Formats for C, C++, Cobol, RPG, and Visual Basic

If you are using C, C++, Cobol, or Visual Basic to write your 3GL client application, you may find it helpful to reference the following for the appropriate syntax format.

Programming Language	Syntax Format
C and C++	edamethod (&structure_name, alpha_string, &len_alpha_string);
Cobol	CALL edamethod USING STRUCTURE-NAME, ALPHA-STRING, LEN-ALPHA-STRING.
Visual Basic	edamethod STRUCTURE_NAME&, ALPHA_STRING$, len(ALPHA_STRING$)
RPG	CALLP edamethod (structure_name: alpha_string: len_alpha_string)

Note: Examples are not shown in all languages for each method. There are examples supplied on disk with the product that can be examined to study specific syntaxes. See sections Programming Examples for supplied examples.