NAME

       gd_strings — retrieve a list of string values from a dirfile

SYNOPSIS

       #include <getdata.h>

       const char **gd_strings(DIRFILE *dirfile);

DESCRIPTION

       The gd_strings() function queries a dirfile(5) database specified by dirfile and returns a read-only list
       of values of the all STRING type fields defined in the database.  Notably, this  list  does  not  include
       /META subfields.

       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_field_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_nfields_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_strings() 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_field_list_by_type(3).

RETURN VALUE

       Upon  successful  completion, gd_strings() returns a pointer to an array of strings containing the values
       of all the STRING fields defined in the dirfile database.  The array is terminated by a NULL pointer.  If
       no  strings  are  defined  in the database, an array consisting of only the NULL pointer is returned.  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_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_field_list_by_type(3),  gd_mstrings(3),
       gd_nfields_by_type(3), gd_string(3)