getnetpath(3N)      (Networking Services Architecture)       getnetpath(3N)


   NAME
         getnetpath - get /etc/netconfig entry corresponding to NETPATH
         component

   SYNOPSIS
         #include <netconfig.h>
         void *
         setnetpath()
         struct netconfig *
         getnetpath(handlep);
         void * handlep;
         int
         endnetpath(handlep);
         void * handlep;

   DESCRIPTION
         The three routines described on this page are part of the UNIX System
         V Network Selection component.  They provide application access to
         the system network configuration database, /etc/netconfig, as it is
         ``filtered'' by the NETPATH environment variable (see environ(5)).
         Network Selection also includes routines that access the network
         configuration database directly (see getnetconfig(3N)).

         A call to setnetpath() ``binds'' or ``rewinds'' NETPATH.
         setnetpath() must be called before the first call to getnetpath() and
         may be called at any other time.  It returns a handle that is used by
         getnetpath.  setnetpath() will fail if the netconfig database is not
         present.  If NETPATH is unset, setnetpath() returns the number of
         ``visible'' networks in the netconfig file.  The set of visible
         networks constitutes a default NETPATH.

         When first called, getnetpath() returns a pointer to the netconfig
         database entry corresponding to the first valid NETPATH component.
         The netconfig entry is formatted as a struct netconfig.  On each
         subsequent call, getnetpath returns a pointer to the netconfig entry
         that corresponds to the next valid NETPATH component.  getnetpath()
         can thus be used to search the netconfig database for all networks
         included in the NETPATH variable.  When NETPATH has been exhausted,
         getnetpath() returns NULL.

         getnetpath() silently ignores invalid NETPATH components.  A NETPATH
         component is invalid if there is no corresponding entry in the
         netconfig database.

         If the NETPATH variable is unset, getnetpath() behaves as if NETPATH
         were set to the sequence of ``default'' or ``visible'' networks in
         the netconfig database, in the order in which they are listed.

         endnetpath() may be called to ``unbind'' NETPATH when processing is
         complete, releasing resources for reuse.  Programmer's should be
         aware, however, that endnetpath() frees all memory allocated by


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   getnetpath(3N)      (Networking Services Architecture)       getnetpath(3N)


         setnetpath().  endnetpath() returns 0 on success and -1 on failure
         (e.g., if setnetpath() was not called previously).

   SEE ALSO
         netconfig(4), getnetconfig(3N), environ(5)
         Programmer's Guide: Networking Interfaces
         System Administrator's Guide














































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