Networking Services Library Functions          getnetconfig(3NSL)



NAME
     getnetconfig, setnetconfig,  endnetconfig,  getnetconfigent,
     freenetconfigent, ncperror, ncsperror - get network confi-
     guration database entry

SYNOPSIS
     #include 




     struct netconfig *getnetconfig(void *handlep);


     void *setnetconfig(void);


     int endnetconfig(void *handlep);


     struct netconfig *getnetconfigent(const char *netid);


     void freenetconfigent(struct netconfig *netconfigp);


     void ncperror(const char *msg);


     char *ncsperror(void);


DESCRIPTION
     The library routines described on this page  are part of the
     Network  Selection  component.  They provide the application
     access  to  the  system  network   configuration   database,
     /etc/netconfig.  In  addition  to the routines for accessing
     the  netconfig  database,  Network  Selection  includes  the
     environment  variable NETPATH (see environ(5)) and the  NET-
     PATH access routines described in getnetpath(3NSL).


     getnetconfig() returns a pointer to the current entry in the
     netconfig database, formatted as a struct netconfig. Succes-
     sive calls will return successive  netconfig entries in  the
     netconfig database. getnetconfig() can be used to search the
     entire  netconfig file. getnetconfig() returns  NUL at  the
     end  of  the  file.   handlep is the handle obtained through
     setnetconfig().






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Networking Services Library Functions          getnetconfig(3NSL)



     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 struct  netconfig
     structure  corresponding to netid. It returns  NUL 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()).


     ncperror() prints a message to the standard error  indicat-
     ing  why  any  of  the above routines failed. The message is
     prepended with the string msg and  a  colon.  A  NEWLINE  is
     appended at the end of the message.


     ncsperror() is similar to  ncperror() but instead of send-
     ing the message to the standard error, will return a pointer
     to a string that contains the error message.


     ncperror() and ncsperror() can also be used with the  NET-
     PATH access routines defined in getnetpath(3NSL).

RETURN VALUES
     setnetconfig() returns a unique handle to be  used  by  get-
     netconfig().  In  the  case  of  an  error,   setnetconfig()
     returns  NUL and  ncperror() or ncsperror() 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. get-
     netconfig() returns  NUL at the end of the  file,  or  upon
     failure.



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Networking Services Library Functions          getnetconfig(3NSL)



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


     On success,  getnetconfigent()  returns  a  pointer  to  the
     struct netconfig structure corresponding to netid; otherwise
     it returns  NUL.


     ncsperror() 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  imple-
     mented as thread-specific data.

ATRIBUTES
     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:



     
           ATRIBUTE TYPE               ATRIBUTE VALUE       
    
     MT-Level                     MT-Safe                     
    


SEE ALSO
     getnetpath(3NSL), netconfig(4), attributes(5), environ(5)


























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