Chapter 2. IRIX Developer Documentation

This chapter tells you about the documentation Silicon Graphics provides to describe the operating system, compilers, tools, and libraries you can use to develop your applications. It presents this information in three forms:

A Documentation Roadmap

The diagram in Figure 2-1 shows the documentation provided by Silicon Graphics for application developers.

Figure 2-1. Documentation for Developers


The IRIS Developer's Option

The IRIS Developer's Option (IDO) gives you the basic software and documentation you need to write applications for Silicon Graphics platforms. When you order the IDO, you'll receive online manuals for the products that are part of the IDO. You can view these manuals using IRIS InSight, an online documentation viewer. The manuals you receive as part of the IDO are:

  • Programming on Silicon Graphics Systems: An Overview

  • Topics in IRIX Programming

  • IRIX Network Programming Guide

  • IRIX Device Driver Programming Guide

  • IRIX Device Driver Reference Pages

  • C Language Reference Manual

  • dbx User's Guide

  • dbx Quick Reference

  • OpenGL Programming Guide

  • OpenGL Porting Guide

  • Indigo Magic Desktop Integration Guide

  • Silicon Graphics User Interface Guidelines

  • Xlib Programming Manual

  • X11 Input Extension Library Specification

  • X Toolkit Intrinsics Programming Manual

  • IRIS IM Programming Notes

  • OSF/Motif Programmer's Guide

  • OSF/Motif Programmer's Reference

  • OSF/Motif Style Guide

  • IRIS Digital Media Programming Guide

  • MIPS Compiling and Performance Tuning Guide

  • Software Packager User's Guide

If you want to order printed versions of these manuals, call SGI Express at 1–800-800-7441, ext. 4650, and supply the desired product codes. Refer to the Documentation Catalog for IRIX 5.3, viewable from IRIS Insight, to determine product codes and other information about ordering manuals.

An Annotated List of Manuals

The five tables in this section list the manuals available for developers, along with the product name for each manual and a brief description of the content of the manual.

Operating System Level Documentation

Table 2-1 lists manuals containing information about topics at the operating system level. You receive online versions of these manuals when you order the IDO.

Table 2-1. Operating System Level Manuals

Product Name

Title

Description

IDO

Programming on Silicon Graphics Systems: An Overview

Provides an overview of the IRIX operating system, programming languages, software development and user interface toolkits, and application libraries.

 

Topics in IRIX Programming

Describes selected topics in IRIX programming, including interprocess communication, file and record locking, fonts, and internationalization.

 

IRIX Network Programming Guide

Describes various approaches to writing software that sends or receives information through a network.

 

IRIX Device Driver Programming Guide

Tells you how to write device drivers to control peripheral devices.

 

IRIX Device Driver Reference Pages

Contains reference pages that describe the functions and data structures used in writing device drivers.


Compilers

Table 2-2 lists the manuals containing information about programming languages supported by Silicon Graphics. Some of these manuals come with IDO. Others you receive only when you order the associated product.

Table 2-2. Compiler Manuals

Product Name

Title

Description

C++

C++ Programming Guide

Tells you how to compile, link, and run a C++ program. Documents the interface between C and C++, and the differences between the 64- and 32-bit versions of the compiler. Describes how to use the Delta/C++ compiler.

 

C++ Language System Overview

Contains an overview of the language features of C++. Describes the differences between C and C++.

 

C++ Language System Library

Introduces the iostream support in the C++ library and describes facilities for using complex-number arithmetic.

 

 

 

IDO

C Language Reference Manual

Contains a summary of the syntax and semantics of the C programming language as implemented on Silicon Graphics platforms.

 

 

 

IRIS Power C

IRIS Power C User's Guide

Describes how to use IRIS Power C, a C compiler for developers who want to make efficient use of IRIX multiprocessors by executing parts of their programs concurrently.

 

 

 

Fortran

Fortran 77 Language Reference Manual

Describes the Fortran 77 language specifications as implemented on the IRIS workstations.

 

Fortran 77 Programmer's Guide

Describes the implementation of Fortran 77 for IRIX and the IRIS workstations.

POWER Fortran

POWER Fortran Accelerator User's Guide

Describes the features of the POWER Fortran Accelerator (PFA), a source-to- source preprocessor that allows you to run Fortran 77 programs on multiprocessor systems.

 

 

 

Pascal

Pascal Programming Guide

Describes the general syntax of the Pascal programming language, including data structures and program flow control.

 

 

 

IRIX5 AXM

Ada X/Motif Interface (AXI) Programmer Reference Manual

Contains information about programming in the AXM environment, including the Ada preprocessor, the Statistical Analyzer, and interfaces to libraries written in other languages.


User Interface Tools

Table 2-3 lists the manuals containing information about the user interface libraries and toolkits supported by IRIX. Some of these manuals come with the IDO. Others you receive only when you order the associated product.

Table 2-3. Documentation About User Interface Tools

Product Name

Title

Description

IDO

Xlib Programming Manual

Describes the X library, the C interface to the X Window System.

 

X11 Input Extension Library Specification

Describes

the input extension to the X11 server. This extension supports the use of additional input devices beyond the pointer and keyboard devices defined by the core X protocol.

 

 

X Toolkit Intrinsics Programming Manual

Describes how to use the Xt Intrinsics library to write X Window System programs.

 

OSF/Motif Programmer's Guide

Describes how to use the
OSF/Motif API to create Motif applications.

 

OSF/Motif Programmer's Reference

Contains descriptions of the OSF/Motif toolkit, window manager, and user interface language commands and functions.

 

OSF/Motif Style Guide

Provides a framework of behavior specifications to guide developers in the design and implementation of products consistent with the OSF/Motif user interface.

 

IRIX IM Programming Notes

Describes how to develop applications using IRIS IM. Contains advice for X and Xt programmers about programming in the Silicon Graphics X environment.

 

Indigo Magic Desktop Integration Guide

Explains how to integrate applications into the Indigo Magic desktop environment.

 

Silicon Graphics User Interface Guidelines

Helps you create products whose user interface is consistent with other applications in the Indigo Magic desktop environment.

 

 

 

C++

IRIS ViewKit Programmer's Guide

Describes how to create programs using IRIS ViewKit, a toolkit that provides user interface facilities for applications.


Software Development Tools

Table 2-4 contains a list of the manuals describing the tools for compiling, debugging, and tuning your application. Some of these manuals come with IDO. Others you receive only when you order the associated product.

Table 2-4. Software Development Tools Manuals

Product Name

Title

Description

IDO

MIPS Compiling and Performance Tuning Guide

Describes the compiler system, dynamic shared objects (DSOs), and program debugging tools. It explains ways to improve program performance using prof, pixie, and the optimization options.

 

 

 

IDO

dbx User's Guide

Describes how to use dbx, a source level debugger, to debug C, C++, Fortran 77, Pascal, and assembler programs. This includes how to execute a program using dbx, examine source code, control program execution, debug machine language code, and debug multiple processes.

 

 

 

CASEVision WorkShop

CASEVision/WorkShop User's Guide - Volume 1

Describes how to use the Debugger and Static Analyzer tools in the WorkShop toolset.

 

CASEVision/WorkShop User's Guide - Volume 2

Describes how to use the Performance Analyzer, Tester, and Build Manager tools in the WorkShop toolset.

 

CASEVision Environment Guide

Describes the common environment that all the tools in the CASEVision product line share.

 

CASEVision/WorkShop MegaDev User's Guide

Describes the C++ Browser and the Fix and Continue utilities. The C++ Browser lets you view the structure of any set of C++ classes. Fix and Continue allows you to redefine functions and then continue execution without recompiling.

 

CASEVision/WorkShop Pro MPF User's Guide

Describes the Pro MPF tool, an interactive, visual comparison of the original source with transformed, parallelized code.

 

CASEVision/Tracker Design Guide

Describes the CASEVision/Tracker, a tool for creating systems to track bugs and enhancement requests.

 

CASEVision/Tracker User's Guide

Describes how to use the Request Tracking System (RTS), a system for tracking bugs and requests for enhancements.

 

CASEVision/ClearCase

Describes the CASEVision/ClearCase software configuration management system.

 

 

 

DESK

Software Packager User's Guide

Describes how to use the Software Packager (swpkg), a graphical tool for packaging software for installation on Silicon Graphics workstations. Products packaged with Software Packager can be installed with Software Manager (swmgr), an Indigo Magic Desktop utility for installing software.


Application Libraries

Table 2-5 contains a list of the manuals describing the graphics, image processing, digital media, and printer/scanner libraries available on an IRIS system. Some of these manuals come with IDO. Others you receive only when you order the associated product.

Table 2-5. Application Libraries Manuals

Product Name

Title

Description

IDO

OpenGL Programming Guide

Describes how to use OpenGL, a platform-independent standard for rendering 3D graphics.

 

OpenGL Reference Manual

Contains the reference pages for OpenGL, the OpenGL Utility Library (GLU), and GLX—the OpenGL extension to X. Also includes an overview and summary of OpenGL routines and commands.

 

The OpenGL Porting Guide

Provides directions, hints, and tips for porting your IRIS Graphics Library software to OpenGL.

 

 

 

Graphics Library

Graphics Library Programming Guide, Volumes 1-2

Describes the IRIS Graphics Library API.

 

Graphics Library Programming Tools and Techniques

Describes useful software tools and programming techniques for use with IRIS GL.

 

The Inventor Toolmaker

Provides advanced information on extending Open Inventor by creating new C++ classes and customizing existing classes.

 

Open Inventor C++ Reference Pages

Contains the C++ reference pages for Open Inventor.

 

 

 

ImageVision

ImageVision Library Programming Guide

Describes how to use the ImageVision Library to perform image processing tasks.

 

The ImageVision Library Inheritance Hierarchy

A quick reference card that shows the entire inheritance hierarchy of the ImageVision Library.

 

 

 

IRIS Performer

IRIS Performer Programming Guide

Provides an overview of IRIS Performer and describes the API of IRIS Performer's two main libraries: libpf—the high-level visual simulation library, and libpr—the low-level high- performance graphics library.

 

IRIS Performer Reference Pages

Contains the reference pages for all the functions in the two primary IRIS Performer libraries and the adjunct IRIS Performer utilities library.

 

IRIS Performer Quick Reference

Lists the function prototype for each function in the IRIS Performer libraries: libpr, libpf, libpfutil, and libpfsgi.

IDO

IRIS Digital Media Programming Guide

Describes the API's of the libraries that comprise the IRIS Digital Media Development Environment. This environment includes the Audio, Audio File, CD, DAT, MIDI, Video, IndigoVideo, Compression, and Movie Libraries.

 

 

 

Impressario

Impressario Programming Guide

Describes Impressario, which provides tools for developers who need to print and scan from their applications, or who need to write printer or scanner drivers.