NAME

       md_src_plugins_dump_READMEREADME
        -

       • infos = Information about dump plugin is in keys below

       • infos/author = Markus Raab elektra@libelektra.org

       • infos/licence = BSD

       • infos/needs =

       • infos/provides = storage

       • infos/placements = getstorage setstorage

       • infos/description = Dumps into a format tailored for complete KeySet semantics

       This plugin is a storage plugin that supports full Elektra semantics. Combined with a
       resolver plugin it already assembles a fully featured backend. No other plugins are
       needed.

   Format
       The file format consists of a simple command language with arguments. When an argument is
       binary or string data the length needs to passed first. Because the size is known in
       advance, any binary dump is accepted. Terminating characters present no problem. The
       commands are assembled similar to the ones present in Elektra’s API.

       The file starts with the magic word kdbOpen followed by a version number. Processing can
       be stopped immediately when it is not in Elektra’s dump format at all. A wrong version
       number most likely indicates that the version of the plugin is too old to recognise all
       commands in the file. The basic idea of the dump plugin is to write out the way that the
       KeySet needs to be constructed. The dump plugin interprets such a file. The file also
       looks similar to Ccode that would create the KeySet. Keys can contain any binary values
       and arbitrary metadata and are still stored and parsed correctly. The dump plugin can even
       reconstruct pointers to metadata to save memory. When a pointer to the same region of
       memory is found, a special command keyCopyMeta is written out that is able to reconstruct
       the data structure the way it was before. The commands were designed to make parsing of
       the file an easy task.

   Format Examples
       The serialised configuration can look like (0 bytes at end of strings are omitted):

           kdbOpen 1
           ksNew 207
           keyNew 27 1
           system/elektra/mountpoints
           keyMeta 8 27
           commentBelow are the mountpoints.
           keyEnd
           keyNew 32 19
           system/elektra/mountpoints/dbusserialised Backend
           keyEnd keyNew 39 1
           system/elektra/mountpoints/dbus/config
           keyMeta 8 72
           commentThis is a configuration for a backend, see subkeys for more information
           keyEnd
           keyNew 53 1
           system/elektra/mountpoints/fstab/config/struct/FStab
           keyCopyMeta 59 11
           system/elektra/mountpoints/file
           systems/config/struct/FStabcheck/type
           keyEnd
           ksEnd

   Examples
       Export a KeySet using dump:

           kdb export system/example dump > example.ecf

       Import a KeySet using dump:

           cat example.ecf | kdb import system/example dump

       Using grep/diff or other unix tools on the dump file. Make sure that you treat it as text
       file, e.g.:

           grep --text mountpoints example.ecf