getnetpath(3N)          LIBRARY FUNCTIONS          getnetpath(3N)



NAME
     getnetpath - get /etc/netconfig entry corresponding to  NET-
     PATH 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 data-
     base,  /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 setnet-
     path()  ``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.  [=> Amplify. <=] 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.  getnet-
     path() 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 com-
     ponent is invalid if there is no corresponding entry in  the
     netconfig  database.  If the NETPATH variable is unset, get-
     netpath() behaves as if NETPATH were set to the sequence  of
     ``default''  or  ``visible'' networks in the netconfig data-
     base, in the order in which they are  listed.   endnetpath()
     may  be called to ``unbind'' NETPATH when processing is com-
     plete, releasing resources for reuse.   Programmer's  should
     be  aware, however, that endnetpath() frees all memory allo-
     cated by setnetpath().  endnetpath() returns  0  on  success
     and -1 on failure (e.g., if setnetpath() was not called pre-
     viously).




                                                                1

getnetpath(3N)          LIBRARY FUNCTIONS          getnetpath(3N)



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



















































                                                                2