NAME¶

gd_mfield_list — retrieve a list of fields in a dirfile

SYNOPSIS¶

#include <getdata.h>

DESCRIPTION¶

The gd_mfield_list() function queries a dirfile(5) database specified by dirfile and returns a read-only list of names of the all metafields for the specified parent field in the database. The dirfile argument must point to a valid DIRFILE object previously created by a call to gd_open(3). The array returned will be de-allocated by a call to gd_close(3) and should not be de-allocated by the caller. The list returned should not be assumed to be in any particular order. The array is terminated by a NULL pointer. The number of strings in the array can be obtained from a call to gd_nmfields(3). The caller may not modify any strings in the array, or the array itself. Doing so may cause database corruption. The pointer returned is guaranteed to be valid until gd_mfield_list() is called again with the same arguments, or until the array is de-allocated by a call to gd_close(3).

RETURN VALUE¶

Upon successful completion, gd_mfield_list() returns a pointer to an array of strings containing the names of all the metafields of the given parent. On error it returns NULL and sets the dirfile error to a non-zero error value. Possible error values are:

GD_E_ALLOC

The library was unable to allocate memory.

GD_E_BAD_CODE

The supplied parent field code was not found, or referred to a metafield itself.

GD_E_BAD_DIRFILE

The supplied dirfile was invalid.

The dirfile error may be retrieved by calling gd_error(3). A descriptive error string for the last error encountered can be obtained from a call to gd_error_string(3).

SEE ALSO¶

dirfile(5), gd_open(3), gd_error(3), gd_error_string(3), gd_mfield_list_by_type(3), gd_mvector_list(3), gd_nfields(3)