NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     getnetconfig, setnetconfig, endnetconfig, getnetconfigent,
     freenetconfigent, nc_perror, nc_sperror - get network configuration
     database entry

LIBRARY    [Toc]    [Back]

     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     #include <netconfig.h>

     struct netconfig *
     getnetconfig(void *handlep);

     void *
     setnetconfig(void);

     int
     endnetconfig(void *handlep);

     struct netconfig *
     getnetconfigent(const char *netid);

     void
     freenetconfigent(struct netconfig *netconfigp);

     void
     nc_perror(const char *msg);

     char *
     nc_sperror(void);

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The library routines described on this page provide the application
     access to the system network configuration database, /etc/netconfig.
     getnetconfig() returns a pointer to the current entry in the database,
     formatted as a struct netconfig .  Successive calls will return successive
 netconfig entries in the netconfig database.  getnetconfig() can be
     used to search the entire netconfig file.  getnetconfig() returns NULL at
     the end of the file.  is the handle obtained through setnetconfig().

     A call to setnetconfig() has the effect of ``binding'' to or ``rewinding''
 the netconfig database.  setnetconfig() must be called before the
     first call to getnetconfig() and may be called at any other time.
     setnetconfig() need not be called before a call to getnetconfigent().
     setnetconfig() returns a unique handle to be used by getnetconfig().

     endnetconfig() should be called when processing is complete to release
     resources for reuse.  handlep is the handle obtained through
     setnetconfig().  Programmers should be aware, however, that the last call
     to endnetconfig() frees all memory allocated by getnetconfig() for the
     struct netconfig data structure.  endnetconfig() may not be called before
     setnetconfig().

     getnetconfigent() returns a pointer to the netconfig structure corresponding
 to netid.  It returns NULL if netid is invalid (that is, does
     not name an entry in the netconfig database).

     freenetconfigent() frees the netconfig structure pointed to by netconfigp
     (previously returned by getnetconfigent()).

     nc_perror() prints a message to the standard error indicating why any of
     the above routines failed.  The message is prepended with the string msg
     and a colon.  A newline character is appended at the end of the message.

     nc_sperror() is similar to nc_perror() but instead of sending the message
     to the standard error, will return a pointer to a string that contains
     the error message.

     nc_perror() and nc_sperror() can also be used with the access routines
     defined in getnetpath(3).

RETURN VALUES    [Toc]    [Back]

     setnetconfig() returns a unique handle to be used by getnetconfig().  In
     the case of an error, setnetconfig() returns NULL and nc_perror() or
     nc_sperror() can be used to print the reason for failure.

     getnetconfig() returns a pointer to the current entry in the netconfig
     database, formatted as a struct netconfig.  getnetconfig() returns NULL
     at the end of the file, or upon failure.

     endnetconfig() returns 0 on success and -1 on failure (for example, if
     setnetconfig() was not called previously).

     On success, returns a pointer to the structure corresponding to otherwise
     it returns NULL.

     nc_sperror() returns a pointer to a buffer which contains the error message
 string.  This buffer is overwritten on each call.  In multithreaded
     applications, this buffer is implemented as thread-specific data.

FILES    [Toc]    [Back]

     /etc/netconfig

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     getnetpath(3), netconfig(5)

BSD                             April 22, 2000                             BSD