This chapter will examine the basics of how to use GeneHunter's programmer’s toolkit.  It is presumed that the reader is already familiar with the previous chapters and with the Visual Basic programming language.  If there are any questions about Visual Basic, please refer to the Visual Basic manual or contact Microsoft.

Note to users who want to call GeneHunter functions from another programming language such as C:  all GeneHunter functions require their arguments passed with far pointers.  File GADLL32.H contains constant declarations, C-prototypes of the functions, and error codes returned by the GALIB functions.

Overview of the GA Process

How to Build a Population

Writing the Fitness Function

The Evolutionary Loop

When Should the Algorithm Be Stopped

MAXI Program Code

Optimize Example

Chromosome Pools

Extinction

Diversity

Constraints and Penalties