Applications and Geodes

GEOS SDK TechDocs

1 Geodes

This chapter discusses the life of an application as well as several topics most application programmers will want to cover at one time or another. Before reading this chapter, you should have read each of the previous chapters; this chapter builds on the knowledge you gained in those chapters.

This chapter details the components and features of a geode , a GEOS executable. The chapter is presented in the following five sections:

• Geodes
  The Geodes section describes how libraries, drivers, and applications are launched, used, and shut down. It also discusses the general sections of a geode and the geode's executable file.
• Creating Icons
  The Creating Icons section describes the structure of the Token Database, how icons are stored, managed, and created.
• Saving User Options
  The Saving Options section describes how to work with the GEOS.INI file.
• General System Utilities
  The General System Utilities section describes several different mechanisms provided by GEOS that you may find useful in your application or other geode.
• The Error-Checking System Software
  The Error-Checking System Software describes the differences between the debugging and standard versions of the system software. There are two versions of nearly every part of the system software including the kernel, the UI, and most libraries and drivers.
• IACP: Inter-Application Communication Protocol
  The IACP section describes how applications can communicate with each other and pass data back and forth. This protocol works for applications that are not necessarily loaded and running; thus, an application can change another application's data dynamically--the recipient application is automatically started if it is not already running. (This is an advanced topic; most programmers will not need to read this section.)

  1 Geodes
    1.1 Geode Components and Structures
    1.2 Launching an Application
    1.3 Shutting Down an Application
    1.4 Saving and Restoring State
    1.5 Using Other Geodes
    1.6 Writing Your Own Libraries
    1.7 Working with Geodes
    1.8 Geode Protocols and Release Levels
    1.9 Temporary Geode Memory
  2 Creating Icons
    2.1 The Token Database
    2.2 Managing the Token Database File
  3 Saving User Options
    3.1 Saving Generic Object Options
    3.2 The GEOS.INI File
  4 General System Utilities
    4.1 System Clock
    4.2 Using Timers
    4.3 System Statistics and Utilities
    4.4 Shutting the System Down
  5 The Error-Checking Version
    5.1 Adding EC Code to Your Program
    5.2 Special EC Routines
  6 Inter-Application Communication
    6.1 IACP Overview
    6.2 GenApplicationClass Behavior
    6.3 Messages Across an IACP Link
    6.4 Being a Client
    6.5 Being a Server

GEOS SDK TechDocs

1 Geodes