analog inputs

Grumpy_Mike:
... Or you can directly access the hardware and do all the other stuff associated with a read as well.

Sorry if I'm asking dumb questions, but does "directly access" imply flashing the chip without the IDE?
If so... I haven't had much luck with this.

Right now I'm using A0-11 for triggers, but I'm not sure about DAC0-1, can I use them just like the other analog inputs?