NAME

       md_src_plugins_dump_README - README

       • 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

Version 0.8.14                                   Tue Dec 15 2015            md_src_plugins_dump_README(3elektra)