elf_errmsg(3ELF)					       ELF Library Functions						  elf_errmsg(3ELF)

NAME

       elf_errmsg, elf_errno - error handling

SYNOPSIS

       cc [ flag ... ] file ... -lelf [ library ... ]
       #include <libelf.h>

       const char *elf_errmsg(int err);

       int elf_errno(void);

DESCRIPTION

       If  an  ELF  library function fails, a program can call elf_errno() to retrieve the library's internal error number. As a side effect, this
       function resets the internal error number to 0, which indicates no error.

       The elf_errmsg() function takes an error number, err, and returns  a  null-terminated  error  message  (with  no  trailing  new-line)  that
       describes  the  problem.  A  zero  err  retrieves a message for the most recent error. If no error has occurred, the return value is a null
       pointer (not a pointer to the null string). Using err of -1 also retrieves the most recent error, except it guarantees  a  non-null  return
       value,  even  when no error has occurred. If no message is available for the given number, elf_errmsg() returns a pointer to an appropriate
       message. This function does not have the side effect of clearing the internal error number.

EXAMPLES

       Example 1 A sample program of calling the elf_errmsg() function.

       The following fragment clears the internal error number and checks it later for errors. Unless an error occurs  after  the  first  call	to
       elf_errno(), the next call will return 0.

	 (void)elf_errno();
	 /* processing ... */
	 while (more_to_do)
	 {
	      if ((err = elf_errno()) != 0)
	      {
		   /* print msg */
		   msg = elf_errmsg(err);
	      }
	 }

ATTRIBUTES

       See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:

       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
       |      ATTRIBUTE TYPE	     |	    ATTRIBUTE VALUE	   |
       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
       |Interface Stability	     |Stable			   |
       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
       |MT-Level		     |MT-Safe			   |
       +-----------------------------+-----------------------------+

SEE ALSO

       elf(3ELF), libelf(3LIB), attributes(5)

SunOS 5.11							    11 Jul 2001 						  elf_errmsg(3ELF)