elf_hash(3E)                                            elf_hash(3E)


       NAME
             elf_hash - compute hash value

       SYNOPSIS
             cc [flag . . . ] file . . . -lelf [library] . . .
             #include <libelf.h>
             unsigned long elf_hash(const char *name);

       DESCRIPTION
             elf_hash computes a hash value, given a null terminated
             string, name.  The returned hash value, h, can be used as a
             bucket index, typically after computing h mod x to ensure
             appropriate bounds.

             Hash tables may be built on one machine and used on another
             because elf_hash uses unsigned arithmetic to avoid possible
             differences in various machines' signed arithmetic.  Although
             name is shown as char* above, elf_hash treats it as
             unsigned char* to avoid sign extension differences.  Using
             char* eliminates type conflicts with expressions such as
             elf_hash("name").

             ELF files' symbol hash tables are computed using this function
             [see elf_getdata(3E) and elf_xlate(3E)].  The hash value
             returned is guaranteed not to be the bit pattern of all ones
             (~0UL).

       REFERENCES
             elf(3E), elf_getdata(3E), elf_xlate(3E)



















                           Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc.               Page 1