getnetpath(3N)          NETWORK 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.  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.  getnetpath() 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 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 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).



          Last change: Networking Services Architecture         1

getnetpath(3N)          NETWORK FUNCTIONS          getnetpath(3N)



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



















































          Last change: Networking Services Architecture         2