IBM Version 4 manual Edit Function APIs, File APIs, Session services, An edit Code, An edit Word

ŸSession services

The session services APIs provide a general scrolling interface tha used to create, query, and manipulate sessions, and to perform in output operations to sessions.

Edit Function APIs

The edit function APIs are	used to create andedit usemask editis			amasks.	An
byte string that tells the	edit machine	instruction	or the	Edit	(QECE
format a numeric value into	a readable	character	string.

An edit mask can format a numeric value so that languages that cannot machine instructions can now take advantage of this function. The edit previously defined by the Edit Code (EDTCDE) and Edit Word (EDTWRD) keywords in DDS.

An edit

code

is

a

standard description

of

how a number should be for

There are many standard edit

codes defined by the system. Users

several edit codes the way

they

want

with

the

use of

the

Create

(CRTEDTD) command.

An edit

word

is

a

user-defined

description

of

how a number should be

An edit word is usually used

when

one

of the

standard

edit

codes

edit

codes

is

not

sufficient

for

a

particular

situation.

The Convert

Edit

Code

(QECCVTEC)

API converts

an

edit

code

specificatio

an edit mask, and the Convert Edit Word (QECCVTEW) API converts an edit specification into an edit mask. The resulting edit mask along with the formatted are then passed to the Edit (QECEDT) API, which transforms numeric from its internal format to a character form for displaying.

File APIs

File APIs provide complete and specific information about a file on a remote system. The file APIs include list, query, retrieve, and Struc Language (SQL) APIs. The list APIs generate lists of the following:

ŸDatabase file members

Ÿ	How files and	members are	related to a specified database fil
Ÿ	Fields within	a specified	file record format name

ŸRecord formats contained within a specified file

The Query (QQQQRY) API is useful for		querying	requests	whereby	you
direct interface to	OS/400 Query. The	advantage	of using the Query
you are not limited	by the function	of any particular		product	inter

can provide your own user interface and not be impeded by the ex associated with an extra layer such as SQL. It is currently used o expert programmers.

The Retrieve Display File (QDFRTVFD) API can be used to get complete cific information about a display file. All the information that was i description specifications (DDS) is returned in the output of the QD By using the API, you can get specific field information for the d

Chapter 8. Use of OS/400 8APIs-5