APIs: 3GL Functions

Unless otherwise indicated, all 3GL functions are available on all platforms.

In the 3GL function descriptions, note the following:

• All Uniface 3GL functions have lowercase names, as do most of the symbols in the shared libraries (there are some exceptions).

  The include file h3gl.hmaps the lowercase names to uppercase or to mixed-case, if necessary. We recommend that you always include h3gl.h, and call functions using only their lowercase names. If you do not include h3gl.h, you might get unresolved externals when you link in the shared library.

• String parameters for the functions, whether they be input or output, are always zero-terminated, C style, and are passed by reference as a pointer, unless otherwise noted. So instead of saying the precisely correct:

  format—a pointer to a zero-terminated character string containing the format

  we simply say:

  format—a string containing the format, or merely The format

• For brevity, most of the examples shown omit the checking of return codes. You should always check against all possible documented values, and take appropriate action. This is a good programming practice, which we strongly endorse.

Note:  Functions that are not mentioned in this reference material are not supported and should not be used.

A number of Uniface 3GL functions were documented in previous versions of Uniface, but have been made obsolete. These are listed in the Obsolete 3GL Functions. You might find that some of these functions are mentioned in the include files that we distribute in the include directory of your Uniface installation. However, this does not imply that you can use them.