NAME

       gd_aliases — retrieve a list of aliases for a field in a dirfile database

SYNOPSIS

       #include <getdata.h>

       const char **gd_aliases(DIRFILE *dirfile, const char *field_code);

DESCRIPTION

       The gd_aliases() function queries a dirfile(5) database specified by dirfile and returns a
       read-only list of aliases of the field specified by field_code.

       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_naliases(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_aliases() 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_aliases()  returns  a  pointer  to  an  array of strings
       containing the values of all the aliases for the specified field.  The array is terminated
       by  a  NULL  pointer.  If successful, this list will always contain at least one entry, to
       wit: field_code.

       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 specified field code was not found in the database.

       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_alias_target(3), gd_naliases(3)