i downloaded FDK how to write API and what is a FDE?

This question is far to broad for you to get a answer here. Nobody can spend months teaching you how to program. This is something you need to learn on your own.

Having said that, I certainly understand your situation. I remember well the time when I started with the FDK, having generally minimal programming experience and no experience with C. Luckily for me, I had some professional developers around me who could help get my IDE set up and answer basic questions. The hardest part is the very first part.

You need to have the correct IDE, some version of Microsoft Visual C++. It is very difficult to know which version because the FDK documentation has been neglected for some time, especially the installation documentation. If you were more specific about which version of the FDK, we could tell you which version of Visual C++ you need. But that is about the most we can do... IDE setup can be complicated. Like Rick suggests, the FDK samples are probably the best place to start.

Regarding the FDE, it is a broader concept that is not so important to understand right away. Basically, you should start out using functions and data types defined in the FDK reference, avoiding the native C counterparts. This does not mean that you can't use regular C... it's just that the FDK was built on this concept of cross-platform compatibility, so clients somehow operate entirely within the FrameMaker processing space. By using solely FDE functions and data types, you ensure that you are not dipping into the general OS for anything and that your client will run on any FrameMaker anywhere. I'm no expert on this stuff so I hope what I just said is true. The basic thing is that you don't need to know the details of the FDE magic... just follow the syntax of code that is documented and you will be fine.

I hope this helps some. I know it is far from getting you where you want to be. But it's the best I can do through this forum.

Russ

There are some examples included with the FDK. However, if you are new to programming, I suggest you start with ExtendScript, which is built into FrameMaker 10 and above.