Virtual Terminal APIs
The virtual terminal APIs enable application programs to interact with a System i® platform that is performing workstation input/output (I/O).
A virtual terminal is a device that does not have hardware associated with it. It forms a connection between your application and IBM® i applications, representing a physical workstation (possibly on a remote system). The IBM i operating system manages the virtual terminal, which directs workstation I/O performed by an IBM i application to the virtual terminal. The virtual terminal APIs allow another IBM i application, called a server program, to work with the data associated with the virtual terminal.
In a distributed systems environment, the requesting program is called a client; the answering program is called a server. The client and server programs may reside on the same system or may be distributed between two different systems. The server program generally runs on behalf of (or in conjunction with) the client program. Together, the server program and the client program allow a workstation to be supported as if the workstation were connected locally.
You must specify a workstation type when a virtual terminal device is opened. A server program can select several different types of workstations. See Open Virtual Terminal Path (QTVOPNVT) API for a list of the types of workstations that are supported.
Select the following topics for more information:
- Distributed 5250 Emulation Model
- Job Information
- Subsystem Information
- Data Queues
- Preparing to Use the Virtual Terminal APIs
- Creating Your Own Virtual Controllers and Devices
- Developing Client and Server Programs
- Virtual Terminal Runtime Example
The virtual terminal APIs are:
- Close Virtual Terminal Path (QTVCLOVT) closes one or all open virtual terminal paths.
- Open Virtual Terminal Path (QTVOPNVT) opens a path to a virtual terminal.
- Read from Virtual Terminal (QTVRDVT) reads data from the virtual terminal into a data buffer.
- Send Request for IBM i Function (QTVSNDRQ) sends a request to perform a particular function.
- Write to Virtual Terminal (QTVWRTVT) writes data to a virtual terminal from a data buffer.
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