getnetconfig(3N)                                    getnetconfig(3N)


       NAME
             getnetconfig - get network configuration database entry

       SYNOPSIS
             cc [options] file -lnsl
             #include <netconfig.h>
             void *setnetconfig(void);
             struct netconfig *getnetconfig(void *handlep);
             int endnetconfig(void *handlep);
             struct netconfig *getnetconfigent(char *netid);
             void freenetconfigent(struct netconfig *netconfigp);
             void nc_perror(char *msg);
             char *nc_sperror(void);

       DESCRIPTION
             The seven library 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.  In addition to the netconfig
             database and the routines for accessing it, Network Selection
             includes the environment variable NETPATH [see environ(5)] and
             the NETPATH access routines described in getnetpath(3N).

             A call to setnetconfig has the effect of ``binding'' or
             ``rewinding'' the netconfig database.  setnetconfig must be
             called before the first call to getnetconfig and may be called
             at any other time.  setnetconfig need not be called before a
             call to getnetconfigent.  setnetconfig returns a unique handle
             to be used by getnetconfig.  In the case of an error,
             setnetconfig returns NULL.

             When first called, getnetconfig returns a pointer to the
             current entry in the netconfig database, formatted as a
             netconfig structure.  getnetconfig can thus be used to search
             the entire netconfig file.  getnetconfig returns NULL at end
             of file.

             endnetconfig should be called when processing is complete to
             release resources for reuse.  Programmers should be aware,
             however, that the last call to endnetconfig frees all memory
             allocated by getnetconfig for the struct netconfig data
             structure.  endnetconfig may not be called before
             setnetconfig.  endnetconfig returns 0 on success and -1 on
             failure (for example, if setnetconfig was not called
             previously).



                           Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc.               Page 1

      getnetconfig(3N)                                    getnetconfig(3N)


            getnetconfigent returns a pointer to the netconfig structure
            corresponding to netid.  It returns NULL if netid is invalid
            (that is, does not name an entry in the netconfig database).

            freenetconfigent frees the netconfig structure pointed to by
            netconfigp, previously returned by getnetconfigent.

            nc_perror prints a message to the standard error indicating
            why any of the above routines failed.  The message is
            prepended with string msg and a colon.  A NEWLINE is appended
            at the end of the message.

            nc_sperror is similar to nc_perror but instead of sending the
            message to the standard error indicating why the network
            selection routines failed, it returns a pointer to the
            message.

         Files
            /usr/lib/locale/locale/LC_MESSAGES/uxnsu

      REFERENCES
            environ(5), getnetpath(3N), netconfig(4)

      NOTICES
            nc_sperror returns a pointer to static data that is
            overwritten on each call.  For multi-threaded applications,
            each thread is allocated a separate message storage area.

            Functions that provide successive entries in files on
            successive calls must be called from a single thread.


















                          Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc.               Page 2