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".