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Chapter 2. Getting Started with APIs
You may find the information in this chapter helpful as you start to work with APIs;
for example, locating the API that you want to use. It also tells you about informa-
tion that you will need when using the APIs. Other topics covered are:
Language selection considerations
API environments
API parameters
Internal identifiers
User spaces and receiver variables
Continuation handles
System and user domain concepts
Exit programs
QSYSINC library
QUSRTOOL library
User index considerations (recovering data)
APIs and internal system objects
Performance considerations
Locating the API to Use
If you are using the
System API Reference
, you can use the following methods to
find an API:
You can use the table of contents where the APIs are grouped by function.
Within each chapter, the APIs are listed in alphabetical order.
You can use the index where the APIs are listed in alphabetical order under the
application programming interface (API) topic.
You can also use the index where the APIs are listed under terms such as the
following:
– Job API
– List API
– Spooled file API
– Socket network functions (in this case, the term
functions
means the same
as APIs)
Except for APIs that are defined by formal standards organizations (for example,
UNIX type or Systems Application Architecture (SAA)), OS/400 APIs start with the
letter Q and are followed by two to three letters that make up an internal compo-
nent identifier. The last part of the API name identifies the action or function of the
API. Generally, the information after the component ID is an abbreviation of the
verb that describes the function of the API. Figure 2-1 on page 2-2 contains all of
the verbs that are either part of an API name or are implied verbs associated with
an API name.
Copyright IBM Corp. 1997 2-1