NAME

       gd_mstrings — retrieve a list of string values from a dirfile

SYNOPSIS

       #include <getdata.h>

       const char **gd_mstrings(DIRFILE *dirfile, const char *parent);

DESCRIPTION

       The  gd_mstrings()  function  queries  a dirfile(5) database specified by dirfile and returns a read-only
       list of values of the all STRING type metafields for the supplied parent field.

       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, although it is guaranteed
       to be in the same order as the list of STRING fields returned by gd_mfield_list_by_type(3).  The array is
       terminated  by  a NULL pointer.  The number of strings in the array can be obtained from a call to gd_nm‐
       fields_by_type(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_mstrings() is called again with the
       same arguments, or until the array is de-allocated by a call to gd_close(3).

       A corresponding list of names for these fields may be obtained by calling gd_mfield_list_by_type(3).

RETURN VALUE

       Upon successful completion, gd_mstrings() returns a pointer to an array of strings containing the  values
       of  all  the  STRING  metafields  for  the specified parent field.  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 supplied parent field code was not found, or referred to a metafield itself.

       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_error(3),    gd_error_string(3),    gd_mfield_list_by_type(3),    gd_nm‐
       fields_by_type(3), gd_strings(3)

Version 0.7.0                                    15 October 2010                                  gd_mstrings(3)