AIX Version 4.3 General Programming Concepts: Writing and Debugging Programs

About This Book

This book introduces you to the programming tools and interfaces available for writing and debugging application programs using the AIX operating system.

Who Should Use This Book

This book is intended for programmers who write and debug application programs on the AIX operating system. Readers of this book should be familiar with the C programming language and AIX usage (entering commands, creating and deleting files, editing files, and moving around in the file system).

How to Use This Book

Overview of Contents

This book contains the following chapters and appendix:

Chapter 1, "Tools and Utilities," provides an overview of the operating system utilities you can use to develop C language programs.
Chapter 2, "The Curses Library," describes the libraries of subroutines that allow you to control input and output to a terminal from a C program.
Chapter 3, "Debugging Programs," describes the debugging programs available in the AIX operating system.
Chapter 4, "Error Notification," describes the error notification object class, which allows applications to be notified when particular errors are recorded in the system error log.
Chapter 5, "File Systems and Directories," describes the hierarchical system of files and directories native to AIX.
Chapter 6, "Floating-Point Exceptions," describes the AIX implementation of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard for floating-point exceptions.
Chapter 7, "Input and Output Handling," provides an introduction to programming considerations for input and output handling.
Chapter 8, "Large Program Support," describes the large address-space model used by AIX to accommodate programs requiring data areas larger than conventional segmentation can handle.
Chapter 9, "Parallel Programming," introduces major concepts concerning threads.
Chapter 10, "Programming on Multiprocessor Systems," highlights specific problems when writing programs for symmetric multiprocessor systems.
Chapter 11, "Threads Programming Guidelines," provides detailed information about programming with the threads library (libpthreads.a).
Chapter 12, "lex and yacc Program Information," explains how you can use the lex and yacc commands to prepare complicated input for your programs.
Chapter 13, "Logical Volume Programming," provides an introduction to programming considerations for the Logical Volume Manager (LVM).
Chapter 14, "make Command Information," explains how to simplify recompiling and relinking by using the make command.
Chapter 15, "m4 Macro Processor," describes the m4 processor, a front-end processor for any programming language used in the AIX environment.
Chapter 16, "National Language Support," describes the commands and Standard C Library subroutines you can use to provide support for languages other than English.
Chapter 17, "Object Data Manager (ODM)," describes the data manager intended for storing system information and for managing application-program data.
Chapter 18, "sed Program Information," explains how you can use the sed command to perform complex or repetitive editing tasks.
Chapter 19, "Shared Libraries and Shared Memory," describes facilities for sharing libraries and memory allocation.
Chapter 20, "Packaging Software for Installation," explains how you can make your programs installable using the AIX installation commands.
Chapter 21, "AIX Documentation Search Service,"rovides a web server search form that allows users to search HTML online documents.
Chapter 22, "Software Vital Product Data (SWVPD)," explains how you can maintain and access information about installed software products.
Chapter 23, "Source Code Control System (SCCS)," describes the commands that allow specified users to control and track changes to an SCCS file.
Chapter 24, "Subroutines, Example Programs, and Libraries," explains how you can use subroutines in your programs.
Chapter 25, "System Management Interface Tool (SMIT)," describes the interactive, menu-driven tool you can use to maintain your system.
Chapter 26, "System Resource Controller," explains how you can manage and control complex subsystems.
Chapter 27, "Trace Facility," explains how you can use the trace facility to isolate system problems by monitoring selected system events.
Chapter 28, "TTY Subsystem," explains how you can control incoming and outgoing streams of characters so your programs can process them.
Chapter 29, "High Resolution Time Measurements Using PowerPC Time Base and POWER Real Time Clock," describes the library services used to support writing processor-independent code to perform high resolution time measurements.
Chapter 30, "Loader Domains," explains how to load shared libraries at the same virtual address in a set of processes.
Chapter 31, "Power Management (PM) Aware Application Program," explains how to write a PM-aware application program.

Highlighting

The following highlighting conventions are used in this book:

Bold	Identifies commands, subroutines, keywords, files, structures, directories, and other items whose names are predefined by the system. Also identifies graphical objects such as buttons, labels, and icons that the user selects.
Italics	Identifies parameters whose actual names or values are to be supplied by the user.
`Monospace`	Identifies examples of specific data values, examples of text similar to what you might see displayed, examples of portions of program code similar to what you might write as a programmer, messages from the system, or information you should actually type.

ISO 9000

ISO 9000 registered quality systems were used in the development and manufacturing of this product.

AIX 32-Bit Support for the X/Open UNIX95 Specification

Beginning with AIX Version 4.2, the operating system is designed to support the X/Open UNIX95 Specification for portability of UNIX-based operating systems. Many new interfaces, and some current ones, have been added or enhanced to meet this specification. Beginning with Version 4.2, AIX is even more open and portable for applications.

At the same time, compatibility with previous AIX releases is preserved. This is accomplished by the creation of a new environment variable, which can be used to set the system environment on a per-system, per-user, or per-process basis.

To determine the proper way to develop a UNIX95-portable application, you may need to refer to the X/Open UNIX95 Specification, which can be obtained on a CD-ROM by ordering the printed copy of AIX Version 4.3 Commands Reference, order number SBOF-1877, or by ordering Go Solo: How to Implement and Go Solo with the Single Unix Specification, order number SR28-5705, a book which includes the X/Open UNIX95 Specification on a CD-ROM.

AIX 32-Bit and 64-Bit Support for the UNIX98 Specification

Beginning with AIX Version 4.3, the operating system is designed to support the X/Open UNIX98 Specification for portability of UNIX-based operating systems. Many new interfaces, and some current ones, have been added or enhanced to meet this specification. Making AIX Version 4.3 even more open and portable for applications.

To determine the proper way to develop a UNIX98-portable application, you may need to refer to the X/Open UNIX98 Specification, which can be obtained on a CD-ROM by ordering the printed copy of AIX Version 4.3 Commands Reference, order number SBOF-1877, or by ordering Go Solo: How to Implement and Go Solo with the Single Unix Specification, order number SR28-5705, a book which includes the X/Open UNIX98 Specification on a CD-ROM.

Related Publications

The following books contain information about or related to writing programs:

AIX and Related Products Documentation Overview, order number SC23-2456.
AIX Version 4.3 Kernel Extensions and Device Support Programming Concepts, order number SC23-4125.
AIX Version 4.3 Communications Programming Concepts, order number SC23-4124.
AIX Version 4.3 AIXwindows Programming Guide, available on the AIX Version 4.3 Base Documentation CD only.
AIX Versions 3.2 and 4 Performance Tuning Guide, order number SC23-2365.
AIX Version 4.3 System Management Guide: Operating System and Devices, order number SC23-4126.
AIX Version 4.3 System Management Guide: Communications and Networks, order number SC23-4127.
AIX Version 4.3 Commands Reference, order number SBOF-1877.
AIX Version 4.3 Technical Reference, order number SBOF-1878.
AIX Version 4.3 Files Reference, order number SC23-4168.
AIX Version 4.3 Assembler Language Reference, available on the AIX Version 4.3 Extended Documentation CD only.
AIX Version 4.3 INed Editor User's Guide, available on the AIX Version 4.3 Base Documentation CD only.

Levine, John R., Tony Mason, and Doug Brown. lex & yacc. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, 1992.

Dougherty, Dale. sed & awk. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, 1990.

Oram, Andrew, and Steve Talbott. Managing Projects with make. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, 1991.

X/Open Company, Ltd. and Prentice Hall, Inc. Go Solo: How to Implement and Go Solo with the Single Unix Specification. Order Number SR28-5705.

Ordering Publications

You can order publications from your sales representative or from your point of sale.

To order additional copies of this book, use order number SC23-4128.

Use AIX and Related Products Documentation Overview for information on related publications and how to obtain them.