elf_rand(3E)                                                   elf_rand(3E)

NAME
     elfrand - access random archive member

SYNOPSIS
     cc [flag ...] file ... -lelf [library ...]

     #include <libelf.h>

     sizet elfrand(Elf *elf, sizet offset);

DESCRIPTION
     elfrand(), elfnext(), and elfbegin() manipulate simple object files
     and archives. elf is an ELF descriptor previously returned from
     elfbegin().

     elfrand() provides random archive processing, preparing elf to access
     an arbitrary archive member. elf must be a descriptor for the archive
     itself, not a member within the archive. offset gives the byte offset
     from the beginning of the archive to the archive header of the desired
     member. See elfgetarsym(3E) for more information about archive member
     offsets. When elfrand() works, it returns offset. Otherwise it
     returns 0, because an error occurred, elf was null, or the file was
     not an archive (no archive member can have a zero offset). A program
     may mix random and sequential archive processing.

EXAMPLE
     An archive starts with a "magic string" that has SARMAG bytes; the
     initial archive member follows immediately. An application could thus
     provide the following function to rewind an archive (the function
     returns -1 for errors and 0 otherwise).

        #include <ar.h>
        #include <libelf.h>

        int
        rewindelf(Elf *elf)
        {
           if (elfrand(elf, (sizet)SARMAG) == SARMAG)
                return 0;
           return -1;
        }

SEE ALSO
     elf(3E), elfbegin(3E), elfgetarsym(3E), elfnext(3E), ar(4).











Page 1                       Reliant UNIX 5.44                Printed 11/98