Introduction to the OS/2 API Documentation

by Prokushev, Daniel Lee Kruse, Anakor, Martin Iturbide

Introduction
The OS/2 API is not available for public domain. A range of OS/2 products includes API documentation. Latest OS/2 Toolkit is part of Convenience Packages and eComStation.

Anyway, OS/2 Toolkit documentation contains errors, not all API documented etc. Lot of parts just not included.

In 1996 The OS/2 API project was started. But copyright issues not allowed to extend project after maintainers lost interest in it. So, all work from the OS/2 API project was never completed.

After EDM/2 was relaunched, in 2004 Daniel Lee Kruse started OS/2 API Documentation pages. Wiki provided good chance to make this project live.

This article describes how any API entry must be described.

API entry definition
Each API entry must be described and documented in common and standard representation form. Here is example of API function definition as used in the project ({this is comment}):

DosBeep {function name as Page Name}
Generates the specified frequency on the computer's speaker. {general function description}

Syntax
DosBeep(frequency, duration) : {function definition. No types described here}

Parameters
Frequency as Hertz with valid values from 37 through 32767. {parameter description}
 * frequency - ULONG - input : {parameter description with type and stream direction}
 * duration - ULONG - input : Length of the sound in milliseconds.

Constants
None. {list of used constants}

Returns
NO_ERROR {list of return codes} ERROR_INVALID_FREQUENCY

Module
DOSCALLS {name of export module}

Define (C/C++)
DOS_PROCESS {This entry optional and actual only for OS/2 Toolkit compatible C/C++ section. Controls include sequence}

Ordinal/Export name
286 {Ordinal and/or export name of function. Can be detected by LxLite, NeLite, etc.}

Calling convention
Cdecl32 {Calling convention of function. Possible values are: Cdecl32, Cdecl16, Pascal32 & Pascal16}

Remarks
I don't have any. {Function specific comments}

Example Code
Not needed for this example listing.

{Here example code. Preferred language - C. But various language-specific voodoo (like C/C++ += -= ++ --) must not used. Minimal pointers<->ULONG conversions because potential error points.}

Related Functions

 * WinAlarm {Link to related functions}

OS Version Introduced
OS/2 2.1

Messages definition
Messages also can be interpreted as API entry. Usually you call API function WinSendMsg and receive the result. Each message has some specific parameters and return codes. So, message also must be represented in some form.

SOM Interface definition
SOM interfaces defined via the SOM Interface Definition Language. Module name not known all the time, so no module information. Calling convention is always Cdecl32.

Interface
interface WPShadow : WPAbstract { WPObject wpQueryShadowedObject]](in BOOL fLock); BOOL wpSetShadowTitle (in PSZ pszNewTitle); BOOL wpSetLinkToObject (in WPObject FromObject); implementation { releaseorder: wpSetLinkToObject,withdrawn,wpSetShadowTitle,wpQueryShadowedObject; externalstem = wplink; local; externalprefix = shd_; majorversion = 1; minorversion = 2; filestem = wpshadow; metaclass = M_WPShadow; callstyle = oidl; dllname = "pmwp.dll"; wpQueryTitle: override; wpSetup: override; wpSaveState: override; wpRestoreState: override; wpQueryStyle: override; wpInitData: override; wpUnInitData: override; wpSetTitle: override; wpFilterPopupMenu: override; wpModifyPopupMenu: override; wpMenuItemSelected: override; wpViewObject: override; wpMenuItemHelpSelected: override; wpCreateFromTemplate: override; wpOpen: override; wpInsertPopupMenuItems: override; wpInsertMenuItems: override; wpCreateShadowObject: override; wpDragOver: override; wpDrop: override; wpQueryDefaultHelp: override; wpConfirmDelete: override; wpConfirmObjectTitle: override; wpPrintObject: override; wpFormatDragItem: override; wpDraggedOverObject: override; wpDroppedOnObject: override; wpQueryNameClashOptions: override; wpFilterMenu: override; wpModifyMenu: override; somDefaultInit: override; somDestruct: override; }; };
 * 1) ifdef __SOMIDL__
 * 1) endif /* __SOMIDL__ */

Comments
I don't have any.

OS Version Introduced
OS/2 2.1

MyType {DataType Name as Page Name}
MyType description

Type
List of the types fields, e.g. ULONG oNextEntryOffset FDATE fdateCreation

C Declaration Method
One of the following:
 * typedef
 * typedef struct
 * typedef const
 * macro or #define

Fields
Explanation of the fields under type, e.g. oNextEntryOffset  Offset of next entry. fdateCreation     Date of file creation.

Remarks
Additional comments where applicable.

If anything in the type can't be done yet then leave a message in the talk page of the corresponding type, like this:

ToDo
Link to MB_OK can't be done yet

Example Code
If there is any sample on how to use/declare the data type.

Type
BOOL {Constant type}

Value
1 {Constant value}