This manual discusses a few topics of interest to programmers writing applications for the IRIX™ operating system. Topics include inter-process communication, file and record locking, fonts, and internationalization.
This manual contains the following chapters:
Chapter 1, “Inter-Process Communication,” describes System V and IRIX inter-process communication mechanisms.
Chapter 2, “File and Record Locking,” describes how to lock and unlock files and parts of files from within a program.
Chapter 3, “Working with Fonts,” discusses typography and font use on Silicon Graphics computers, and describes the Font Manager library.
Chapter 4, “Internationalizing Your Application,” explains how to create an application that can be adapted for use in different countries.
Appendix A, “ISO 3166 Country Names and Abbreviations,” lists country codes for use with internationalization and localization.
For an overview of the IRIX programming environment and tools available for application programming, see Programming on Silicon Graphics Systems: An Overview.
This manual is for anyone who wants to program effectively under the IRIX operating system. We assume you are familiar with the IRIX (or UNIX®) operating system and a programming language such as C.
In addition to this manual, which covers IRIX topics, you may want to refer to other Silicon Graphics manuals that describe compilers and programming languages. The following table lists where you can find this information.
Table 1. Suggestions for Further Reading
Topic | Document |
|---|---|
IRIX programming | Programming on Silicon Graphics Systems: An Overview |
Compiling | MIPS Compiling and Performance Tuning Guide |
Assembly language | MIPSpro Assembly Language Programmer's Guide |
C language | C Language Reference Manual |
C++ language | C++ Programming Guide |
Fortran language | Fortran77 Programmer's Guide |
Pascal language | Pascal Programming Guide and Man Pages |
Real-time programming | REACT/Pro Release Notes |
You can order a printed manual from Silicon Graphics by calling SGI Direct at 1-800-800-SGI1 (800-7441). Outside the U.S. and Canada, contact your local sales office or distributor.
Silicon Graphics also provides manuals online. To read an online manual after installing it, type insight or double-click the InSight icon. It's easy to print sections and chapters of the online manuals from InSight.
You may also want to learn more about standard UNIX topics. For UNIX information, consult a computer bookstore or one of the following:
AT&T. UNIX System V Release 4 Programmer's Guide. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990
Levine, Mason, and Brown. lex & yacc. Sebastopol. CA: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1992
Oram and Talbott. Managing Projects with make. Sebastopol. CA: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1991
This manual uses these conventions and symbols:
| Courier | In text, the Courier font represents function names, file names, and keywords. It is also used for command syntax, output, and program listings. | |
| bold | Boldface is used along with Courier font to represent user input. | |
| italics | Words in italics represent characters or numerical values that you define. Replace the abbreviation with the defined value. Also, italics are used for manual page names and commands. The section number, in parentheses, follows the name. | |
| [ ] | Brackets enclose optional items. | |
| { } | Braces enclose two or more items; you must specify at least one of the items. | |
| | | The OR symbol separates two or more optional items. | |
| … | A horizontal ellipsis in a syntax statement indicates that the preceding optional items can appear more than once in succession. | |
| ( ) | Parentheses enclose entities and must be typed. |
The following two examples illustrate the syntax conventions:
DIMENSION a(d) [,a(d)] … |
indicates that the Fortran keyword DIMENSION must be typed as shown, that the user-defined entity a(d) is required, and that one or more of a(d) can be specified. The parentheses ( ) enclosing d are required.
{STATIC | AUTOMATIC} v [,v] …
|
indicates that either the STATIC or AUTOMATIC keyword must be typed as shown, that the user-defined entity v is required, and that one or more v items can be specified.