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Introduction
About This Guide and FML
This chapter describes the contents of the guide, how the Field Manipulation Language (FML) fits into the BEA MessageQ system, and how you might get the most out of the guide. We assume that you are familiar with the BEA MessageQ system.
What Is FML?
FML is a set of C language functions for defining and manipulating storage structures called fielded buffers that contain attribute-value pairs in fields. The attribute is the field's identifier, and the associated value represents the field's data content.
Fielded buffers provide an excellent structure for communicating parameterized data between cooperating processes, by providing named access to a set of related fields. Programs that need to communicate with other processes can use the FML software to provide access to fields without concerning themselves with the structures that contain them.
The original FML allowed for 16-bit field identifiers, field lengths, field occurrences, and record lengths. A newer FML32 interface allows for larger identifiers (32-bit), field lengths, field occurrences, and record lengths. The interfaces are nearly identical; the only difference is that a suffix of "32" is added to the name of type definitions, header files, functions, and commands.
Note: BEA MessageQ only supports FML32. Do not use the 16-bit FML functions in developing MessageQ applications.
How Does FML32 Fit into the BEA MessageQ System?
Within the BEA MessageQ system, FML32 functions are used to manipulate fielded buffers. In MessageQ applications, messages may be sent as message buffers (predefined, static data structures) or as FML32 buffers. Using FML32, applications construct messages containing both the message content and the information needed by the receiver program to understand what is in the message.
Who Is This Document For?
This guide gives detailed information about the features of FML32 and how the different FML32 functions are used.
This guide is intended for programmers who need to learn how to use FML32 functions in programming BEA MessageQ applications. This guide also provides information for users of applications that make use of FML32 with regard to setting up the environment correctly.
Prerequisites
To make full use of this guide, you should be familiar with the following:
What Does This Document Include?
Code Fragments-There are illustrations throughout Chapters 4 and 5 that show you examples of the functions as they might be used in a C program. Chapter 6 has provides additional examples.
What Other FML32 Documentation Is There?
In addition to this guide, documentation on FML32 function calls can be found in the reference page for each FML32 function and the following related reference pages in the BEA MessageQ Reference Manual:
Reference Page |
Description |
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field_tables(5) |
describes the structure of FML field tables |
mkfldhdr32 |
describes the command used to create header files from field tables |
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Copyright © 2000 BEA Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
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