GETNETPATH(3)                                              BSD Library Functions Manual                                              GETNETPATH(3)

NAME

     getnetpath, setnetpath, endnetpath -- get /etc/netconfig entry corresponding to NETPATH component

LIBRARY

     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS

     #include <netconfig.h>

     struct netconfig *
     getnetpath(void *handlep);

     void *
     setnetpath(void);

     int
     endnetpath(void *handlep);

DESCRIPTION

     The routines described in this page provide the application access to the system network configuration database, /etc/netconfig, as it is
     ``filtered'' by the NETPATH environment variable (see environ(7)).  See getnetconfig(3) for other routines that also access the network con-
     figuration database directly.  The NETPATH variable is a list of colon-separated network identifiers.

     The getnetpath() function returns a pointer to the netconfig database entry corresponding to the first valid NETPATH component.  The netcon-
     fig entry is formatted as a struct netconfig.  On each subsequent call, getnetpath() returns a pointer to the netconfig entry that corre-
     sponds to the next valid NETPATH component.  The getnetpath() function 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.

     A call to setnetpath() ``binds'' to or ``rewinds'' NETPATH.  The setnetpath() function 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().

     The getnetpath() function silently ignores invalid NETPATH components.  A NETPATH component is invalid if there is no corresponding entry in
     the netconfig database.

     If the NETPATH variable is unset, getnetpath() behaves as if NETPATH were set to the sequence of ``default'' or ``visible'' networks in the
     netconfig database, in the order in which they are listed.

     The endnetpath() function may be called to ``unbind'' from NETPATH when processing is complete, releasing resources for reuse.  Programmers
     should be aware, however, that endnetpath() frees all memory allocated by getnetpath() for the struct netconfig data structure.

RETURN VALUES

     The setnetpath() function returns a handle that is used by getnetpath().  In case of an error, setnetpath() returns NULL.

     The endnetpath() function returns 0 on success and -1 on failure (for example, if setnetpath() was not called previously).  The nc_perror()
     or nc_sperror() function can be used to print out the reason for failure.  See getnetconfig(3).

     When first called, getnetpath() returns a pointer to the netconfig database entry corresponding to the first valid NETPATH component.  When
     NETPATH has been exhausted, getnetpath() returns NULL.

SEE ALSO

     getnetconfig(3), netconfig(5), environ(7)

BSD                                                               April 22, 2000                                                               BSD