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PPATH(3)                   Library Functions Manual                   PPATH(3)

NAME
     ppath, ppath_idx, ppath_key, ppath_component_retain,
     ppath_component_release, ppath_create, ppath_length, ppath_component_idx,
     ppath_component_key, ppath_pop, ppath_push, ppath_component_at,
     ppath_subpath, ppath_push_idx, ppath_push_key, ppath_replace_idx,
     ppath_replace_key, ppath_copy, ppath_retain, ppath_release, ppath_lookup
     - property container path library

LIBRARY
     Property-List Paths Library (libppath, -lppath)

SYNOPSIS
     #include <ppath/ppath.h>

     ppath_component_t *
     ppath_idx(unsigned int index);

     ppath_component_t *
     ppath_key(const char *key);

     ppath_component_t *
     ppath_component_retain(ppath_component_t *pc);

     void
     ppath_component_release(ppath_component_t *pc);

     ppath_t *
     ppath_create(void);

     unsigned int
     ppath_length(const ppath_t *p);

     int
     ppath_component_idx(const ppath_component_t *);

     const char *
     ppath_component_key(const ppath_component_t *);

     ppath_t *
     ppath_pop(ppath_t *, ppath_component_t **);

     ppath_t *
     ppath_push(ppath_t *, ppath_component_t *);

     ppath_component_t *
     ppath_component_at(const ppath_t *, unsigned int);

     ppath_t *
     ppath_subpath(const ppath_t *, unsigned int, unsigned int);

     ppath_t *
     ppath_push_idx(ppath_t *, unsigned int);

     ppath_t *
     ppath_push_key(ppath_t *, const char *);

     ppath_t *
     ppath_replace_idx(ppath_t *, unsigned int);

     ppath_t *
     ppath_replace_key(ppath_t *, const char *);

     ppath_t *
     ppath_copy(const ppath_t *);

     ppath_t *
     ppath_retain(ppath_t *);

     void
     ppath_release(ppath_t *);

     prop_object_t
     ppath_lookup(prop_object_t, const ppath_t *);

DESCRIPTION
     The ppath library provides functions to read, write, or delete objects in
     a property list.  A property-list "path" names the object in a property
     list to read, write, or delete.

     A property-list path is an ordered array of zero or more array indices
     and dictionary keys that names at most one prop_object_t in a property
     list.  The abstract function E() evaluates a property-list path against a
     prop_object_t, o, to yield a prop_object_t result according to the
     following recursive definition, where empty indicates the empty
     (zero-length) path and the operator "|" indicates the concatenation of
     the path on the left-hand side with the key or index on the right-hand
     side:

     E(o, empty)      Evaluates to o.

     E(o, p | index)  If E(o, p) evaluates to a prop_array_t, then E(o, p |
                      index) evaluates to the index 'th element of that array.
                      Otherwise, an error occurs.

     E(o, p | key)    If E(o, p) evaluates to a prop_dictionary_t, then E(o, p
                      | key) evaluates to the dictionary value stored under
                      key.  Otherwise, an error occurs.

     The programmer may think of property-list paths as working similarly to
     paths in a file system, where property arrays and dictionaries correspond
     to directories, and all other property types correspond to files.

DATA TYPES
     ppath provides two opaque types:

     ppath_component_t
                      A property-list path component: a single key or index.
                      ppath counts references to a ppath_component_t and
                      reclaims its storage when there are no more references.

     ppath_t          An array of zero or more property-list path components.
                      ppath counts references to a ppath_t and reclaims its
                      storage when there are no more references.

FUNCTIONS
     ppath provides these functions for manipulating property-list paths and
     their components:

     ppath_idx(unsigned int index)
            Allocate a new ppath_component_t for the given array index and
            return it.  Its reference count is initially one.

            If there is not sufficient memory to complete the request, return
            NULL.

     ppath_key(const char *key)
            Allocate a new ppath_component_t for the given dictionary key and
            return it.  Its reference count is initially one.

            If there is not sufficient memory to complete the request, return
            NULL.

     ppath_component_retain(ppath_component_t *pc)
            Increase the reference count on pc by one.

     ppath_component_release(ppath_component_t *pc)
            Decrease the reference count on pc by one.  If the reference count
            reaches zero, reclaim the storage for pc.

     ppath_create(void)
            Create a new property-list path and return it.  Its reference
            count is initially one.  The path's length is initially zero.

            If there is not sufficient memory to complete the request, return
            NULL.

     ppath_length(const ppath_t *p)
            Return the number of components in path p.

     ppath_component_idx(const ppath_component_t *pc)
            Return the array index represented by the component pc, or -1 if
            pc does not represent an array index.

     ppath_component_key(const ppath_component_t *pc)
            Return the dictionary key represented by the component pc, or NULL
            if pc does not represent a dictionary key.

     ppath_pop(ppath_t *p, ppath_component_t **pcp)
            If p is the empty path or NULL, return NULL.  Otherwise, remove
            the last component from p and return p, and if pcp is not NULL,
            write the removed component to *pcp.

     ppath_push(ppath_t *p, ppath_component_t *pc)
            If either p is NULL or no more components can be added to p,
            return NULL.  Otherwise, append pc to the end of the component
            array p and return p.

     ppath_component_at(const ppath_t *p, unsigned int i)
            If either p is NULL or there is no ith component to p, return
            NULL.  Otherwise, return the ith component of p.  Before returning
            a component, ppath_component_at() increases its reference count.
            (The first component is 0.)

     ppath_subpath(const ppath_t *p, unsigned int first, unsigned int exclast)
            Create a new ppath_t and fill it with components first to exclast
            (exclusive) of p.  If there are no such components as those in p,
            ppath_subpath() returns an empty ppath_t.  If there is
            insufficient memory to create the new path, or if p is NULL,
            return NULL.  Otherwise, return the new path.

     ppath_push_idx(ppath_t *p, unsigned int idx)
            Append an array index, idx, to the end of path p.  If p is NULL,
            or if there is insufficient memory to complete the operation,
            return NULL.  Otherwise, return p.

     ppath_push_key(ppath_t *, const char *key)
            Append a dictionary key, key, to the end of path p.  If p is NULL,
            or if there is insufficient memory to complete the operation,
            return NULL.  Otherwise, return p.

     ppath_replace_idx(ppath_t *p, unsigned int idx)
            Replace the array index at the end of path p with the array index
            idx.  If p is NULL, if the last component of p is not an array
            index, or if there is insufficient memory to complete the
            operation, return NULL.  Otherwise, return p.

     ppath_replace_key(ppath_t *p, const char *key)
            Replace the dictionary key at the end of path p with the
            dictionary key idx.  If p is NULL, if the last component of p is
            not a dictionary key, or if there is insufficient memory to
            complete the operation, return NULL.  Otherwise, return p.

     ppath_copy(const ppath_t *p)
            Create a copy of path p.  If p is NULL, or if there is
            insufficient memory to complete the operation, return NULL.
            Otherwise, return the copy, whose reference count will be one.

     ppath_retain(ppath_t *p)
            Increase the reference count on p and return p.

     ppath_release(ppath_t *p)
            Decrease the reference count on p.  Reclaim the storage for p if
            the reference count reaches zero.

     ppath_lookup(prop_object_t o, const ppath_t *p)
            Return the prop_object_t under o named by p, or return NULL if no
            such prop_object_t is under o.

SEE ALSO
     ppath_bool(3), ppath_number(3), ppath_object(3), proplib(3)

HISTORY
     The ppath property container path library first appeared in NetBSD 6.0.

AUTHORS
     David Young <dyoung@pobox.com>

NetBSD 10.99                    August 24, 2011                   NetBSD 10.99