NAME

       gd_alias_target — determine the target of an alias defined in a Dirfile database

SYNOPSIS

       #include <getdata.h>

       const char *gd_alias_target(DIRFILE *dirfile, const char *alias_name);

DESCRIPTION

       The  gd_alias_target()  function  queries  a  dirfile(5) database specified by dirfile and
       determines the target field code of the alias specified by alias_name.

       The dirfile argument must point to a valid DIRFILE object previously created by a call  to
       gd_open(3).

       Note:  the  target  may itself be the an alias, which will have its own target.  To obtain
       the canonical  name  of  the  field  ultimately  referenced  by  alias_name,  pass  it  to
       gd_entry(3) and inspect the field member of the gd_entry_t structure returned.

RETURN VALUE

       Upon  successful  completion, gd_alias_target() returns a pointer to a read-only character
       string  containing  the  name  of  the  target  of  the  specified   alias.    On   error,
       gd_alias_target()  returns  NULL  and  sets  the  dirfile  error  a  non-zero error value.
       Possible error values are:

       GD_E_BAD_CODE
               The name alias_name was not found in the dirfile.  GD_E_BAD_DIRFILE  The  supplied
               dirfile was invalid.

       GD_E_BAD_FIELD_TYPE
               The entry specified by alias_name was not an alias.

       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).

HISTORY

       The function gd_alias_target() appeared in GetData-0.8.0.

SEE ALSO

       gd_aliases(3), gd_entry(3), gd_open(3), dirfile(5)