bsd man page for ns

NS(3N)																	    NS(3N)

NAME
       ns_addr, ns_ntoa - Xerox NS(tm)	address conversion routines

SYNOPSIS
       #include <sys/types.h>
       #include <netns/ns.h>

       struct ns_addr ns_addr(cp)
       char *cp;

       char *ns_ntoa(ns)
       struct ns_addr ns;

DESCRIPTION
       The routine ns_addr interprets character strings representing XNS addresses, returning binary information suitable for use in system calls.
       ns_ntoa takes XNS addresses and returns ASCII strings representing the address in a notation in common use in the Xerox	Development  Envi-
       ronment:
	    <network number>.<host number>.<port number>
       Trailing  zero  fields  are  suppressed,  and each number is printed in hexadecimal, in a format suitable for input to ns_addr.	Any fields
       lacking super-decimal digits will have a trailing ``H'' appended.

       Unfortunately, no universal standard exists for representing XNS addresses.  An effort has been made to insure that ns_addr  be	compatible
       with most formats in common use.  It will first separate an address into 1 to 3 fields using a single delimiter chosen from period (``.''),
       colon (``:'') or pound-sign (``#'').  Each field is then examined for byte separators (colon or period).  If  there  are  byte  separators,
       each  subfield separated is taken to be a small hexadecimal number, and the entirety is taken as a network-byte-ordered quantity to be zero
       extended in the high-network-order bytes.  Next, the field is inspected for hyphens, in which case the field is assumed to be a	number	in
       decimal	notation  with	hyphens  separating  the millenia.  Next, the field is assumed to be a number: It is interpreted as hexadecimal if
       there is a leading ``0x'' (as in C), a trailing ``H'' (as in Mesa), or there are any super-decimal digits present.  It  is  interpreted	as
       octal is there is a leading ``0'' and there are no super-octal digits.  Otherwise, it is converted as a decimal number.

SEE ALSO
       hosts(5), networks(5),

DIAGNOSTICS
       None (see BUGS).

BUGS
       The string returned by ns_ntoa resides in a static memory area.
       ns_addr should diagnose improperly formed input, and there should be an unambiguous way to recognize this.

4.3 Berkeley Distribution					   May 12, 1986 							    NS(3N)