String Pattern-Matching Library Functions          pathfind(3GEN)



NAME
     pathfind - search for named file in named directories

SYNOPSIS
     cc [ flag ... ] file ... -lgen [ library ... ]
     #include 

     char *pathfind(const char *path, const char *name, const char *mode);


DESCRIPTION
     The pathfind() function searches the  directories  named  in
     path  for  the  file name. The directories named in path are
     separated by colons (:). The mode argument is  a  string  of
     option letters chosen from the set [rwxfbcdpugks]:








































SunOS 5.11          Last change: 10 Mar 1999                    1






String Pattern-Matching Library Functions          pathfind(3GEN)



     
               Letter                       Meaning           
    
     r                            readable                    
    
     w                            writable                    
    
     x                            executable                  
    
     f                            normal file                 
    
     b                            block special               
    
     c                            character special           
    
     d                            directory                   
    
     p                            FIFO (pipe)                 
    
     u                            set user ID bit             
    
     g                            set group ID bit            
    
     k                            sticky bit                  
    
     s                            size non-zero               
    



     Options read, write, and execute are checked relative to the
     real (not the effective) user ID and group ID of the current
     process.


     If name begins with a slash, it is treated  as  an  absolute
     path name, and path is ignored.


     An empty path member is treated as the current directory.  A
     slash  (/)  character  is not prepended at the occurrence of
     the first match; rather, the unadorned name is returned.

EXAMPLES
     Example 1 Example of finding the ls command using  the  PATH
     environment variable.


     To find the ls command using the PATH environment variable:






SunOS 5.11          Last change: 10 Mar 1999                    2






String Pattern-Matching Library Functions          pathfind(3GEN)



     pathfind (getenv ("PATH"), "ls", "rx")


RETURN VALUES
     The pathfind() function returns a (char *) value  containing
     static,  thread-specific  data that will be overwritten upon
     the next call from the same thread.


     If the file name with all characteristics specified by  mode
     is  found  in any of the directories specified by path, then
     pathfind() returns a pointer  to  a  string  containing  the
     member  of path, followed by a slash character (/), followed
     by name.


     If no match is found, pathname()  returns  a  null  pointer,
     ((char *) 0).

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



     
           ATRIBUTE TYPE               ATRIBUTE VALUE       
    
     MT-Level                     MT-Safe                     
    


SEE ALSO
     sh(1), test(1), access(2),  mknod(2),  stat(2),  getenv(3C),
     attributes(5)

NOTES
     The string pointed to by the returned pointer is  stored  in
     an  area  that  is reused on subsequent calls to pathfind().
     The string should not be deallocated by the caller.


     When compiling multithreaded  applications,  the  RENTRANT
     flag  must be defined on the compile line.  This flag should
     only be used in  multithreadedapplications.










SunOS 5.11          Last change: 10 Mar 1999                    3