GNU Info

(libc.info)Roadmap to the Manual

---

Prev: Using the Library Up: Introduction

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

Roadmap to the Manual
=====================

   Here is an overview of the contents of the remaining chapters of
this manual.

   * Note: Error Reporting, describes how errors detected by the
     library are reported.

   * Note: Language Features, contains information about library
     support for standard parts of the C language, including things
     like the `sizeof' operator and the symbolic constant `NULL', how
     to write functions accepting variable numbers of arguments, and
     constants describing the ranges and other properties of the
     numerical types.  There is also a simple debugging mechanism which
     allows you to put assertions in your code, and have diagnostic
     messages printed if the tests fail.

   * Note: Memory, describes the GNU library's facilities for
     managing and using virtual and real memory, including dynamic
     allocation of virtual memory.  If you do not know in advance how
     much memory your program needs, you can allocate it dynamically
     instead, and manipulate it via pointers.

   * Note: Character Handling, contains information about character
     classification functions (such as `isspace') and functions for
     performing case conversion.

   * Note: String and Array Utilities, has descriptions of functions
     for manipulating strings (null-terminated character arrays) and
     general byte arrays, including operations such as copying and
     comparison.

   * Note: I/O Overview, gives an overall look at the input and output
     facilities in the library, and contains information about basic
     concepts such as file names.

   * Note: I/O on Streams, describes I/O operations involving streams
     (or `FILE *' objects).  These are the normal C library functions
     from `stdio.h'.

   * Note: Low-Level I/O, contains information about I/O operations
     on file descriptors.  File descriptors are a lower-level mechanism
     specific to the Unix family of operating systems.

   * Note: File System Interface, has descriptions of operations on
     entire files, such as functions for deleting and renaming them and
     for creating new directories.  This chapter also contains
     information about how you can access the attributes of a file,
     such as its owner and file protection modes.

   * Note: Pipes and FIFOs, contains information about simple
     interprocess communication mechanisms.  Pipes allow communication
     between two related processes (such as between a parent and
     child), while FIFOs allow communication between processes sharing
     a common file system on the same machine.

   * Note: Sockets, describes a more complicated interprocess
     communication mechanism that allows processes running on different
     machines to communicate over a network.  This chapter also
     contains information about Internet host addressing and how to use
     the system network databases.

   * Note: Low-Level Terminal Interface, describes how you can change
     the attributes of a terminal device.  If you want to disable echo
     of characters typed by the user, for example, read this chapter.

   * Note: Mathematics, contains information about the math library
     functions.  These include things like random-number generators and
     remainder functions on integers as well as the usual trigonometric
     and exponential functions on floating-point numbers.

   * Note: Low-Level Arithmetic Functions, describes
     functions for simple arithmetic, analysis of floating-point
     values, and reading numbers from strings.

   * Note: Searching and Sorting, contains information about functions
     for searching and sorting arrays.  You can use these functions on
     any kind of array by providing an appropriate comparison function.

   * Note: Pattern Matching, presents functions for matching regular
     expressions and shell file name patterns, and for expanding words
     as the shell does.

   * Note: Date and Time, describes functions for measuring both
     calendar time and CPU time, as well as functions for setting
     alarms and timers.

   * Note: Character Set Handling, contains information about
     manipulating characters and strings using character sets larger
     than will fit in the usual `char' data type.

   * Note: Locales, describes how selecting a particular country or
     language affects the behavior of the library.  For example, the
     locale affects collation sequences for strings and how monetary
     values are formatted.

   * Note: Non-Local Exits, contains descriptions of the `setjmp' and
     `longjmp' functions.  These functions provide a facility for
     `goto'-like jumps which can jump from one function to another.

   * Note: Signal Handling, tells you all about signals--what they
     are, how to establish a handler that is called when a particular
     kind of signal is delivered, and how to prevent signals from
     arriving during critical sections of your program.

   * Note: Program Basics, tells how your programs can access their
     command-line arguments and environment variables.

   * Note: Processes, contains information about how to start new
     processes and run programs.

   * Note: Job Control, describes functions for manipulating process
     groups and the controlling terminal.  This material is probably
     only of interest if you are writing a shell or other program which
     handles job control specially.

   * Note: Name Service Switch, describes the services which are
     available for looking up names in the system databases, how to
     determine which service is used for which database, and how these
     services are implemented so that contributors can design their own
     services.

   * Note: User Database, and Note: Group Database, tell you how to
     access the system user and group databases.

   * Note: System Management, describes functions for controlling and
     getting information about the hardware and software configuration
     your program is executing under.

   * Note: System Configuration, tells you how you can get
     information about various operating system limits.  Most of these
     parameters are provided for compatibility with POSIX.

   * Note: Library Summary, gives a summary of all the functions,
     variables, and macros in the library, with complete data types and
     function prototypes, and says what standard or system each is
     derived from.

   * Note: Maintenance, explains how to build and install the GNU C
     library on your system, how to report any bugs you might find, and
     how to add new functions or port the library to a new system.

   If you already know the name of the facility you are interested in,
you can look it up in Note: Library Summary.  This gives you a
summary of its syntax and a pointer to where you can find a more
detailed description.  This appendix is particularly useful if you just
want to verify the order and type of arguments to a function, for
example.  It also tells you what standard or system each function,
variable, or macro is derived from.