NAME

       gd_alias_target — determine the target of an alias defined in a Dirfile database

SYNOPSIS

       #include <getdata.h>

       const char *gd_alias_target(DIRFILE *dirfile, const char *alias_name);

DESCRIPTION

       The gd_alias_target() function queries a dirfile(5) database specified by dirfile and determines the tar‐
       get field code of the alias specified by alias_name.

       The dirfile argument must point to a valid DIRFILE object previously created by a call to gd_open(3).

       Note:  the  target  may  itself be the an alias, which will have its own target.  To obtain the canonical
       name of the field ultimately referenced by alias_name, pass it to gd_entry(3) and inspect the field  mem‐
       ber of the gd_entry_t structure returned.

RETURN VALUE

       Upon  successful completion, gd_alias_target() returns a pointer to a read-only character string contain‐
       ing the name of the target of the specified alias.  On error, gd_alias_target() returns NULL and sets the
       dirfile error a non-zero error value.  Possible error values are:

       GD_E_BAD_CODE
               The name alias_name was not found in the dirfile.  GD_E_BAD_DIRFILE The supplied dirfile was  in‐
               valid.

       GD_E_BAD_FIELD_TYPE
               The entry specified by alias_name was not an alias.

       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).

HISTORY

       The function gd_alias_target() appeared in GetData-0.8.0.

SEE ALSO

       gd_aliases(3), gd_entry(3), gd_open(3), dirfile(5)

Version 0.10.0                                  25 December 2016                              gd_alias_target(3)