NAME

       compile_et - error table compiler

SYNOPSIS

       compile_et file

DESCRIPTION

       Compile_et  converts  a  table  listing  error-code  names  and  associated messages into a C source file
       suitable for use with the com_err(3) library.

       The source file name must end with a suffix of ``.et''; the file consists of a declaration supplying  the
       name (up to four characters long) of the error-code table:

       error_table name

       followed by up to 256 entries of the form:

       error_code name, " string "

       and a final

       end

       to indicate the end of the table.

       The  name  of  the  table is used to construct the name of a subroutine initialize_XXXX_error_table which
       must be called in order for the com_err library to recognize the error table.

       The various error codes defined are assigned sequentially  increasing  numbers  (starting  with  a  large
       number computed as a hash function of the name of the table); thus for compatibility it is suggested that
       new codes be added only to the end of an existing table, and that no codes be removed from tables.

       The names defined in the table are placed into a C header file with preprocessor directives defining them
       as integer constants of up to 32 bits in magnitude.

       A  C  source  file  is  also  generated  which  should be compiled and linked with the object files which
       reference these error codes; it contains the text of the  messages  and  the  initialization  subroutine.
       Both  C  files have names derived from that of the original source file, with the ``.et'' suffix replaced
       by ``.c'' and ``.h''.

       A ``#'' in the source file is treated as a comment character, and all remaining text to the  end  of  the
       source line will be ignored.

BUGS

       Since  the  original  compile_et  uses a very simple parser based on yacc(1), and this current version of
       compile_et uses an awk/sed combination of scripts, its error recovery leaves much to be desired.

SEE ALSO

       com_err (3).

       Ken Raeburn, "A Common Error Description Library for UNIX".