This book provides information on application programming interfaces for use on system units.
This book is part of the six-volume technical reference set, AIX 5L Version 5.2 Technical Reference, that provides information on system calls, kernel extension calls, and subroutines in the following volumes:
This book is intended for experienced C programmers. To use the book effectively, you should be familiar with commands, system calls, subroutines, file formats, and special files.
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. |
Everything in the AIX operating system is case-sensitive, which means that it distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase letters. For example, you can use the ls command to list files. If you type LS, the system responds that the command is "not found." Likewise, FILEA, FiLea, and filea are three distinct file names, even if they reside in the same directory. To avoid causing undesirable actions to be performed, always ensure that you use the correct case.
ISO 9000 registered quality systems were used in the development and manufacturing of this product.
Beginning with Version 4.3, the operating system is designed to support The Open Group's 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 Version 4.3 even more open and portable for applications.
At the same time, compatibility with previous releases of the operating system 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 UNIX98-portable application, you may need to refer to The Open Group's UNIX98 Specification, which can be obtained on a CD-ROM by ordering Go Solo 2: The Authorized Guide to Version 2 of the Single UNIX Specification, a book which includes The Open Group's UNIX98 Specification on a CD-ROM.
The following books contain information about or related to application programming interfaces: