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(libc.info)String Parameters

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String-Valued Parameters
========================

   POSIX.2 defines a way to get string-valued parameters from the
operating system with the function `confstr':

 - Function: size_t confstr (int PARAMETER, char *BUF, size_t LEN)
     This function reads the value of a string-valued system parameter,
     storing the string into LEN bytes of memory space starting at BUF.
     The PARAMETER argument should be one of the `_CS_' symbols listed
     below.

     The normal return value from `confstr' is the length of the string
     value that you asked for.  If you supply a null pointer for BUF,
     then `confstr' does not try to store the string; it just returns
     its length.  A value of `0' indicates an error.

     If the string you asked for is too long for the buffer (that is,
     longer than `LEN - 1'), then `confstr' stores just that much
     (leaving room for the terminating null character).  You can tell
     that this has happened because `confstr' returns a value greater
     than or equal to LEN.

     The following `errno' error conditions are defined for this
     function:

    `EINVAL'
          The value of the PARAMETER is invalid.

   Currently there is just one parameter you can read with `confstr':

`_CS_PATH'
     This parameter's value is the recommended default path for
     searching for executable files.  This is the path that a user has
     by default just after logging in.

`_CS_LFS_CFLAGS'
     The returned string specifies which additional flags must be given
     to the C compiler if a source is compiled using the
     `_LARGEFILE_SOURCE' feature select macro; Note: Feature Test
     Macros.

`_CS_LFS_LDFLAGS'
     The returned string specifies which additional flags must be given
     to the linker if a source is compiled using the
     `_LARGEFILE_SOURCE' feature select macro; Note: Feature Test
     Macros.

`_CS_LFS_LIBS'
     The returned string specifies which additional libraries must be
     linked to the application if a source is compiled using the
     `_LARGEFILE_SOURCE' feature select macro; Note: Feature Test
     Macros.

`_CS_LFS_LINTFLAGS'
     The returned string specifies which additional flags must be given
     to the lint tool if a source is compiled using the
     `_LARGEFILE_SOURCE' feature select macro; Note: Feature Test
     Macros.

`_CS_LFS64_CFLAGS'
     The returned string specifies which additional flags must be given
     to the C compiler if a source is compiled using the
     `_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE' feature select macro; Note: Feature Test
     Macros.

`_CS_LFS64_LDFLAGS'
     The returned string specifies which additional flags must be given
     to the linker if a source is compiled using the
     `_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE' feature select macro; Note: Feature Test
     Macros.

`_CS_LFS64_LIBS'
     The returned string specifies which additional libraries must be
     linked to the application if a source is compiled using the
     `_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE' feature select macro; Note: Feature Test
     Macros.

`_CS_LFS64_LINTFLAGS'
     The returned string specifies which additional flags must be given
     to the lint tool if a source is compiled using the
     `_LARGEFILE64_SOURCE' feature select macro; Note: Feature Test
     Macros.

   The way to use `confstr' without any arbitrary limit on string size
is to call it twice: first call it to get the length, allocate the
buffer accordingly, and then call `confstr' again to fill the buffer,
like this:

     char *
     get_default_path (void)
     {
       size_t len = confstr (_CS_PATH, NULL, 0);
       char *buffer = (char *) xmalloc (len);
     
       if (confstr (_CS_PATH, buf, len + 1) == 0)
         {
           free (buffer);
           return NULL;
         }
     
       return buffer;
     }