NLchar

Purpose

     Handles data type NLchar.

Library

     Standard C Library (libc.a)

Syntax

     #include <NLchar.h>

     typedef unsigned short NLchar;

     int NCdecode (c, x)                |      int NCencode (x, c)
     char *c;                           |      char *x;
     NLchar *x;                         |      char *c;
                                        |
     int NCdecstr (c, x, len)           |      int NCencstr (x, c, len)
     char *c;                           |      NLchar *x;
     NLchar *x;                         |      char *c;
     int len;                           |      int len;
                                        |
     int NCdec (c, x)                   |      int NCenc (x, c)
     char *c;                           |      NLchar *x;
     NLchar *x;                         |      char *c;
                                        |
     int NCdechr (c)                    |      int NLisNLcp (c)
     char *c;                           |      char *c;
                                        |
     int NCchrlen (nlchr)               |      int NLchrlen (c)
     NLchar nlchr;                      |      char *c;
     Description

     Characters  for international  character  support can  be
     either one or two bytes  in length, while all ASCII char-
     acters are one  byte long.  The NLchar  data type repres-
     ents both  ASCII and extended characters  as single units
     of  storage.  The  NLchar subroutines  and macros  listed
     here convert between character  types char and NLchar and
     provide  information about  a given  character of  either
     type.

     The NCdecode subroutine converts  a character starting at
     c into  an NLchar at x,  and returns the number  of bytes
     read from  c.  The NCencode subroutine  makes the inverse
     translation from type NLchar to type char and returns the
     number of bytes written to c.

     The NCdecstr  subroutine converts a string  of characters
     from type char to type  NLchar, and the NCencstr does the
     reverse  translation.    Both  subroutines   require  the
     address  of the  source and  destination strings  and the

     total number  of elements  available for  the destination
     string.  The  destination string  terminates with  a zero
     (0) element, which is included in the string length.  The
     destination length  should include  space for  the termi-
     nator.  If insufficient space is left for the destination
     string, a  portion of it  is not converted.   The subrou-
     tines  return  the  length  of the  string  in  elements,
     including the terminating 0.

     The NCdec and NCenc macros are equivalent to NCdecode and
     NCencode  respectively.  You  can use  them to  avoid the
     overhead of function calls in situations where the param-
     eters have no side effects.

     The NCdechr  macro is  like NCdecode except  that NCdechr
     simply returns  the value  of NLchar rather  than writing
     the NLchar into memory.

     The NLisNLcp, NCchrlen, and NLchrlen macros return infor-
     mation about a given  character.  NLisNLcp returns a zero
     if the character  at c is not an  extended character, but
     returns the length of the  character if it is an extended
     character.  NCchrlen returns the  length in bytes that an
     NLchar would have  if it were converted  into an extended
     or an ASCII character by NCencode.  NLcharlen returns the
     length  in  bytes  of  the extended  or  ASCII  character
     starting at c.

     Related Information

     In this book:  "conv," "ctype," and  "NCctype."

     "Overview of International Character Support" in Managing
     the AIX Operating System.