.. _RTVPG.intro:

Introduction and Background
===============================

An RTVal is a data container used to pass data values between the |FABRIC_PRODUCT_NAME| and client applications.  This guide explains the details of how RTVals function, as well as how to use them from your C/C++ or Python applications.

This document assumes that you are familiar with many elementary concepts in |FABRIC_PRODUCT_NAME|.  If you haven't already, we recommend that you read the :ref:`CO`.