1.4. IFS information in the Information Center

IBM provides a series of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) which we will use to access the IFS. These APIs are designed to be compatible with those used in UNIX environments.

Unfortunately, since most UNIX programming is done in the C programming language, almost all of the documentation assumes that you are a C programmer.

Throughout this book, we will be looking at the C documentation, and translating it into RPG for our purposes. We will make our RPG implementation as much like the C implementation as possible, so that it will be relatively easy to use the IBM manuals to find the information you're looking for in the future.

Don't worry if you're not a C programmer! In this eBook, we will explain each API in RPG terms, plus sample programs will be provided that you can use as a guide.

For general information about the Integrated File System, such as the concepts behind it, follow these steps:

  1. Open up your Information Center CD, or point your web browser at: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/pubs/html/as400/infocenter.htm

  2. If asked, choose the area of the world you live in, the language that you speak, and the release of OS/400 that you need.

  3. Using the navigator bar on the left-hand side of the screen, click "Database and File Systems", then "File Systems and Management", then "Integrated File Systems Concepts."

    Tip: If your web browser has trouble with the navigation bar, (and many do) you can get to the same place by clicking on the "Site Map" instead.

For reference information on the APIs themselves, follow these:

  1. Open up your Information Center CD, or point your web browser at: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/pubs/html/as400/infocenter.htm

  2. If asked, choose the area of the world you live in, the language that you speak, and the release of OS/400 that you need.

  3. Using the navigator bar on the left-hand side of the screen, click "Programming", then "CL and APIs", then "OS/400 APIs", then "APIs by category".

    Tip: If your web browser has trouble with the navigation bar, (and many do) you can get to the same place by clicking on the "Site Map" instead.

  4. From the list of categories, click on "UNIX-Type", and then click on the "Integrated File System APIs" topic.