Using Clipper with C Date: 03/01/90

This file contains the following files:

c.c - C functions called from Clipper
clip.prg - Clipper program to test functions in c.c
c.mak - make file to compile clip.prg and c.c
clipper.txt - documentation on Clipper interface with C
c.exe - executable test program (test Clipper with C)

These files were created for the 03/01/90 meeting of the
Twin Cities (Minnesota) meeting of the dBASE Compiler User Group.

A variety of C functions (in the file c.c) called from clip.prg are intended
to help Clipper programmers understand how to call C from clipper. The
Clipper program is designed so that you can interchange different tests.
The C functions are designed to give people who would like to use C with
Clipper; but were unable to make much sense from the Clipper Manual section
on the extend system, a place to start.

Programming in C offers many benefits to the Clipper programmer. These
benefits include: flexible and efficient data types, low-level access to
peripheral devices, blazing control structures, a preprocessor, etc.
In addition, I believe programming in C helps programmers to understand and
efficiently utilize the power of many programming languages.

The specific functions included here are intended only to demonstrate
Clipper's C interface and not fit any specific purpose. You may enjoy
enhancing some of the routines or practicing with Clipper's C interface.

C functions included are:

ktom() - convert kilometers to miles
convdtoh() - convert decimal numbers to hexadecimal
filecr() - create a file
filedir() - return the number of files that match a particular mask
filedel() - delete files that match a particular mask (TEMP*.*, etc.)
change_dir() - change the current directory
ret_stack() - return current stack size
randfile() - return a random file name
getenvvar() - return the current setting of an environment variable
putenvvar() - modify a variables in your environment variable table
memavail() - amount heap space available
maxmem() - maximum block of heap space available
nearheap() - return the status of the near heap
farheap() - return the status of the far heap
heapwalk() - step through your heap
expand() - attempt to enlarge a block of memory
on_exit() - install a C function to execute upon an exit(0) from within C
exit_0() - call exit(0) to exit from Clipper
reverse_st() - reverse the contents of a string
month_txt() - return the text for the number of a particular month
c_ave() - average the numeric elements of a Clipper array

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at:

Steve Rice
3828 Country Creek Way
Eagan, MN 55122

Compuserve: 72427, 2777

Happy C-Clipping!