gethostbyaddr(3N)                               gethostbyaddr(3N)



NAME
     gethostbyaddr, gethostbyname - get network host entry

SYNOPSIS
     #include <netdb.h>

     struct hostent *gethostbyname ( name )
     char *name;

     struct hostent *gethostbyaddr(addr, len, type)
     char *addr;
     int len, type;

DESCRIPTION
     gethostbyaddr and gethostbyname each return a pointer to an
     object with the following structure containing the broken-
     out fields of a line in the network host data base,
     /etc/hosts.

        struct  hostent {
           char  *h_name;       /*official name of host*/
           char  **h_aliases;   /*alias list*/
           int   h_addrtype;    /*address type*/
           int   h_length;      /*length of address*/
           char  **h_addr_list; /*address list*/
        };
        #define h_addr h_addr_list[0] /* backward compatibility */

     The members of this structure are

     h_name
          official name of the host.

     h_aliases
          A zero terminated array of alternate names for the
          host.

     h_addrtype
          The type of address being returned; currently always
          AF_INET.

     h_length
          The length, in bytes, of the address.

     h_addr
          A pointer to the network address for the host.  Host
          addresses are returned in network byte order.

     gethostbyname and gethostbyaddr sequentially search from the
     beginning of the file until a matching host name or host
     address is found, or until EOF is encountered.  Host
     addresses are supplied in network order.



January 1992                                                    1

gethostbyaddr(3N)                               gethostbyaddr(3N)



STATUS MESSAGES AND VALUES
     A null pointer (0) is returned on EOF or error.

LIMITATIONS
     All information is contained in a static area, so it must be
     copied if it is to be saved.  Only the Internet address
     format is currently understood.

FILES
     /etc/hosts
          File containing a list of hosts

SEE ALSO
     hosts(4N)









































2                                                    January 1992