Seth Woolley's Man Viewer

MISC(3X)                                                              MISC(3X)



NAME
       make_string,  make_pathname,  argv_copy_and_clear,  basename(1,3,3 File::Basename), dirname -
       miscellaneous functions

SYNOPSIS
       #include "misc.h"

       char *make_string( count, ... )
       unsigned count ;

       char *make_pathname( count, ... )
       unsigned count ;

       char **argv_copy_and_clear( argv, start, count )
       char **argv ;
       int start, count ;

       char *dirname( path )
       char *path ;

       char *basename(1,3,3 File::Basename)( path )
       char *path ;

DESCRIPTION
       This library contain miscellaneous functions, hence the name.

       make_string() creates a string(3,n) by catenating the list of strings passed
       as  arguments.   count  indicates  how many strings there are.  Strings
       that are NULL pointers are ignored.   make_string()  returns  malloc'ed
       memory.

       make_pathname()  creates  a pathname by catenating the list of pathname
       components passed as arguments  and  inserting  slashes  between  them.
       count indicates how many components there are.  make_pathname() returns
       malloc'ed memory.

       argv_copy_and_clear() creates a new argv array of size count, and fills
       it with the contents of argv from start up to start+count-1.  The orig-
       inal argv entries in(1,8) that range are cleared by filling them  with  SPA-
       CEs.

       dirname()  returns  in(1,8) a malloced string(3,n) containing all but the last of
       component of path. There are 2 special cases: first when  the  path  is
       "/", dirname() will return "/", and second, when the path does not con-
       tain any '/', dirname() will return ".".

       basename(1,3,3 File::Basename)() returns a pointer to the last component of path.

RETURN VALUES
       make_string() returns a pointer to the new string.  It returns NULL  if(3,n)
       count is 0.

       make_pathname() returns a pointer to the new pathname.  It returns NULL
       if(3,n) count is 0.

       argv_copy_and_clear() returns the new argv array. It  returns  NULL  if(3,n)
       malloc fails to allocate more memory.

       dirname() returns a new string(3,n) or NULL if(3,n) malloc fails to allocate more
       memory.

       basename(1,3,3 File::Basename)() returns a pointer to the last component of path.

BUGS
       The behavior of dirname() and basename(1,3,3 File::Basename)() is undefined if(3,n) they are given
       a zero-length string.



                                25 January 1992                       MISC(3X)