docs/geode-native-docs-cpp/getting-started/getting-started-nc-client.html.md.erb

---
title: Getting Started with the Native Library
---

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To use the <%=vars.product_name%> Native Library for developing <%=vars.product_name%> client applications:

- Obtain a distribution of the Native library and install it on your development platform.
- Set up your development environment with the tools you need, such as a compiler and an OpenSSL security library.
- Establish access to a new or existing <%=vars.product_name%> cluster.
- Write your client application using the <%=vars.product_name%> native library to interact with the <%=vars.product_name%> server.

## <a id="set_up_dev_environment"></a>Set Up Your Development Environment

You will need some essential tools, such as a compiler and a linker.
Your compiler must have access to the Native Client header files, and the linker must have access to the Native Client libraries.
The header files and libraries are located in the Native Client installation directory.

## <a id="establish_cluster_access"></a>Establish Access to a <%=vars.product_name%> Cluster

As you develop your application, you will need access to a <%=vars.product_name%> cluster.
Your client application connects to a <%=vars.product_name%> cluster by specifying the address (host name
or IP address) and port number of one or more locators, and the name of a region that also exists
on the cluster.
The client API establishes a pool of these network connections for your client application to use.

You can choose whether to use a large, remote, production-quality cluster; a small, local,
development cluster; or something in-between, such as a testing or experimental lab installation.

In the _<%=vars.product_name%> User's Guide_,
see [Configuring and Running a Cluster](serverman/configuring/chapter_overview.html) 
and [Client/Server Configuration](serverman/topologies_and_comm/cs_configuration/chapter_overview.html) for instructions on setting up and starting the cluster for a client/server configuration.

### <a id="connecting_to_server"></a>Connecting to the Server

To connect to a server, your application must follow these steps:

1. Instantiate a `CacheFactory`, setting characteristics of interest (for example, `log-level`).
1. Create a cache and use it to instantiate a `PoolFactory`, specifying the hostname and port for the server locator.
1. Create a named pool of network connections.
1. Instantiate a region of the desired type (usually CACHING_PROXY or PROXY) and connect it by name to its counterpart on the server.

Once the connection pool and the shared region are in place, your client application is ready to share data with the server.

**Server Connection: C++ Example**

This example of connecting to the server is taken from the C++ `put-get-remove` example.

Instantiate a `CacheFactory` and set its characteristics:

``` cpp
  auto cacheFactory = CacheFactory();             // instantiate cache factory
  cacheFactory.set("log-level", "none");          // set cache log-level characteristics
```

Create a cache and use it to instantiate a `PoolFactory`:

``` cpp
  auto cache = cacheFactory.create();                         // create cache
  auto poolFactory = cache.getPoolManager().createFactory();  // instantiate pool factory

  poolFactory.addLocator("localhost", 10334);                 // add locator to pool factory
```

Create a named pool of network connections, and instantiate a region of the desired type:

``` cpp
  auto pool = poolFactory.create("pool");                     // create a pool called "pool" that knows where the server is
  auto regionFactory = cache.createRegionFactory(RegionShortcut::PROXY); // instantiate region factory with PROXY characteristics
  auto region = regionFactory.setPoolName("pool").create("example_userinfo"); // create a connection to the region "example_userinfo" on the server
```

See the _<%=vars.product_name%> User Guide_ section [Configuring a Client/Server System](serverman/topologies_and_comm/cs_configuration/setting_up_a_client_server_system.html)
for more details.

### <a id="app_dev_walkthroughs"></a>Application Development Walkthrough

The [C++ App Development Walkthrough](app-dev-walkthrough-cpp.html) describes how to set up a native client development environment using CMake.

## <a id="programming_examples"></a>Programming Examples

The <%=vars.product_name%> Client build provides a set of programming examples to help you understand the client API.
The `examples` directory contains CMake files and a `cpp` subdirectory containing C++ examples.
The Windows build also includes a `dotnet` subdirectory containing C# examples.

CMake files are located at each level of the directory structure to allow examples to be built individually or in groups.

The directory structure resembles this hierarchy (some entries are omitted for clarity):

```
MyProject/
  cmake/
  CMakeLists.txt
  examples/
    BUILD-EXAMPLES.md
    CMakeLists.txt
    CMakeLists.txt.in
    cmake/
    cpp/
      authinitialize/
      continuousquery/
      dataserializable/
      functionexecution/
      pdxserializable/
      pdxserializer/
      putgetremove/
      remotequery/
      sslputget/
      transaction/
    dotnet/
      authinitialize/
      continuousquery/
      dataserializable/
      functionexecution/
      pdxautoserializer/
      pdxserializable/
      putgetremove/
      remotequery/
      sslputget/
      transaction/
```

See the `BUILD-EXAMPLES.md` file for detailed instructions on building and executing the examples,
and read the source code to understand how the examples are constructed.

See [Put/Get/Remove Example](put-get-example.html) for sample code showing the basics of how a client application
connects to a <%=vars.product_name%> cluster and performs basic operations on a remote server.