Overview

This section gives a brief overview of writing programs using the DP4 API. New users should aim to familiarise themselves with this section first as it introduces most of the key DP4 functions and other aspects of DP4 programming. Although it primarily deals with C programming it will be useful to anyone programming using the native DP4 API, whatever language is in use.

• DP4 C Program Structure The bare bones of a DP4 C program

• Using Databases introduces some important concepts in DP4 and the functions used to access DP4 databases

• Using LIBMAKE to Generate Declarations and Code tells you how to use LIBMAKE to automatically generate the declarations and initialisation code that makes a DP4 database accessible to your C program.

• Using the DP4 User Interface Tools and Functions introduces maps - the most important feature of the DP4 User Interface - and how to use them to create menus and dialogs or when printing or creating text files.

• Memory Management and Caching introduces functions that you can use to improve the performance of your DP4 programs

• Extracting and Sorting Data outlines how to use extract files to create reports sorted in ways that cannot be handled using regular database indexes.