XDR
Section: Network Functions (3N)
Updated: 3 November 1987
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NAME
xdr - library routines for external data representation
SYNOPSIS AND DESCRIPTION
These routines allow C programmers to describe
arbitrary data structures in a machine-independent fashion.
Data for remote procedure calls are transmitted using these
routines.
xdr_array(xdrs, arrp, sizep, maxsize, elsize, elproc)
XDR *xdrs;
char **arrp;
u_int *sizep, maxsize, elsize;
xdrproc_t elproc;
-
A filter primitive that translates between variable-length
arrays
and their corresponding external representations. The
parameter
arrp
is the address of the pointer to the array, while
sizep
is the address of the element count of the array;
this element count cannot exceed
maxsize.
The parameter
elsize
is the
sizeof
each of the array's elements, and
elproc
is an
XDR
filter that translates between
the array elements' C form, and their external
representation.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_bool(xdrs, bp)
XDR *xdrs;
bool_t *bp;
-
A filter primitive that translates between booleans (C
integers)
and their external representations. When encoding data, this
filter produces values of either one or zero.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_bytes(xdrs, sp, sizep, maxsize)
XDR *xdrs;
char **sp;
u_int *sizep, maxsize;
-
A filter primitive that translates between counted byte
strings and their external representations.
The parameter
sp
is the address of the string pointer. The length of the
string is located at address
sizep;
strings cannot be longer than
maxsize.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_char(xdrs, cp)
XDR *xdrs;
char *cp;
-
A filter primitive that translates between C characters
and their external representations.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
Note: encoded characters are not packed, and occupy 4 bytes
each. For arrays of characters, it is worthwhile to
consider
xdr_bytes,
xdr_opaqueor
xdr_string.
void
xdr_destroy(xdrs)
XDR *xdrs;
-
A macro that invokes the destroy routine associated with the
XDR
stream,
xdrs.
Destruction usually involves freeing private data structures
associated with the stream. Using
xdrs
after invoking
xdr_destroy
is undefined.
xdr_double(xdrs, dp)
XDR *xdrs;
double *dp;
-
A filter primitive that translates between C
double
precision numbers and their external representations.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_enum(xdrs, ep)
XDR *xdrs;
enum_t *ep;
-
A filter primitive that translates between C
enums
(actually integers) and their external representations.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_float(xdrs, fp)
XDR *xdrs;
float *fp;
-
A filter primitive that translates between C
floats
and their external representations.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
void
xdr_free(proc, objp)
xdrproc_t proc;
char *objp;
-
Generic freeing routine. The first argument is the
XDR
routine for the object being freed. The second argument
is a pointer to the object itself. Note: the pointer passed
to this routine is
not
freed, but what it points to
is
freed (recursively).
u_int
xdr_getpos(xdrs)
XDR *xdrs;
-
A macro that invokes the get-position routine
associated with the
XDR
stream,
xdrs.
The routine returns an unsigned integer,
which indicates the position of the
XDR
byte stream.
A desirable feature of
XDR
streams
is that simple arithmetic works with this number,
although the
XDR
stream instances need not guarantee this.
long *
xdr_inline(xdrs, len)
XDR *xdrs;
int len;
-
A macro that invokes the in-line routine associated with the
XDR
stream,
xdrs.
The routine returns a pointer
to a contiguous piece of the stream's buffer;
len
is the byte length of the desired buffer.
Note that pointer is cast to
long *.
-
Warning:
xdr_inline
may return
NULL
(0) if it cannot allocate a contiguous piece of a buffer.
Therefore the behavior may vary among stream instances;
it exists for the sake of efficiency.
xdr_int(xdrs, ip)
XDR *xdrs;
int *ip;
-
A filter primitive that translates between C integers
and their external representations.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_long(xdrs, lp)
XDR *xdrs;
long *lp;
-
A filter primitive that translates between C
long
integers and their external representations.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
void
xdrmem_create(xdrs, addr, size, op)
XDR *xdrs;
char *addr;
u_int size;
enum xdr_op op;
-
This routine initializes the
XDR
stream object pointed to by
xdrs.
The stream's data is written to, or read from,
a chunk of memory at location
addr
whose length is no more than
size
bytes long. The
op
determines the direction of the
XDR
stream
(either
XDR_ENCODE,
XDR_DECODE,
or
XDR_FREE
).
xdr_opaque(xdrs, cp, cnt)
XDR *xdrs;
char *cp;
u_int cnt;
-
A filter primitive that translates between fixed size opaque
data
and its external representation.
The parameter
cp
is the address of the opaque object, and
cnt
is its size in bytes.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_pointer(xdrs, objpp, objsize, xdrobj)
XDR *xdrs;
char **objpp;
u_int objsize;
xdrproc_t xdrobj;
-
Like
xdr_reference
in that it
XDR
xdr_pointer
serializes
NULL
pointers, whereas
xdr_reference
does not. Thus
xdr_pointer
can
XDR
recursive data structures, such as binary trees or
linked lists, correctly, whereas
xdr_reference
will fail.
void
xdrrec_create(xdrs, sendsize, recvsize, handle, readit, writeit)
XDR *xdrs;
u_int sendsize, recvsize;
char *handle;
int (*readit)(), (*writeit)();
-
This routine initializes the
XDR
stream object pointed to by
xdrs.
The stream's data is written to a buffer of size
sendsize;
a value of zero indicates the system should use a suitable
default. The stream's data is read from a buffer of size
recvsize;
it too can be set to a suitable default by passing a zero
value.
When a stream's output buffer is full,
writeit
is called. Similarly, when a stream's input buffer is empty,
readit
is called. The behavior of these two routines is similar to
the
UNIX
system calls
read
and
write,
except that
handle
is passed to the former routines as the first parameter.
Note that the
XDR
stream's
op
field must be set by the caller.
-
Warning: this
XDR
stream implements an intermediate record stream.
Therefore there are additional bytes in the stream
to provide record boundary information.
xdrrec_endofrecord(xdrs, sendnow)
XDR *xdrs;
int sendnow;
-
This routine can be invoked only on streams created by
xdrrec_create.
The data in the output buffer is marked as a completed
record,
and the output buffer is optionally written out if
sendnow
is non-zero. This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero
otherwise.
xdrrec_eof(xdrs)
XDR *xdrs;
int empty;
-
This routine can be invoked only on streams created by
xdrrec_create.
After consuming the rest of the current record in the stream,
this routine returns one if the stream has no more input,
zero otherwise.
xdrrec_skiprecord(xdrs)
XDR *xdrs;
-
This routine can be invoked only on streams created by
xdrrec_create.
It tells the
XDR
implementation that the rest of the current record
in the stream's input buffer should be discarded.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_reference(xdrs, pp, size, proc)
XDR *xdrs;
char **pp;
u_int size;
xdrproc_t proc;
-
A primitive that provides pointer chasing within structures.
The parameter
pp
is the address of the pointer;
size
is the
sizeof
the structure that
*pp
points to; and
proc
is an
XDR
procedure that filters the structure
between its C form and its external representation.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
-
Warning: this routine does not understand
NULL
pointers. Use
xdr_pointer
instead.
xdr_setpos(xdrs, pos)
XDR *xdrs;
u_int pos;
-
A macro that invokes the set position routine associated with
the
XDR
stream
xdrs.
The parameter
pos
is a position value obtained from
xdr_getpos.
This routine returns one if the
XDR
stream could be repositioned,
and zero otherwise.
-
Warning: it is difficult to reposition some types of
XDR
streams,
so this routine may fail with one type of stream and succeed
with
another.
xdr_short(xdrs, sp)
XDR *xdrs;
short *sp;
-
A filter primitive that translates between C
short
integers and their external representations.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
void
xdrstdio_create(xdrs, file, op)
XDR *xdrs;
FILE *file;
enum xdr_op op;
-
This routine initializes the
XDR
stream object pointed to by
xdrs.
The
XDR
stream data is written to, or read from, the Standard
I/O
stream
file.
The parameter
op
determines the direction of the
XDR
stream (either
XDR_ENCODE
,
XDR_DECODE
,
or
XDR_FREE
).
-
Warning: the destroy routine associated with such
XDR
streams calls
fflush
on the
file
stream, but never
fclose.
xdr_string(xdrs, sp, maxsize)
XDR *xdrs;
char **sp;
u_int maxsize;
-
A filter primitive that translates between C strings and
their
corresponding external representations.
Strings cannot be longer than
maxsize.
Note that
sp
is the address of the string's pointer.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_u_char(xdrs, ucp)
XDR *xdrs;
unsigned char *ucp;
-
A filter primitive that translates between
unsigned
C characters and their external representations.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_u_int(xdrs, up)
XDR *xdrs;
unsigned *up;
-
A filter primitive that translates between C
unsigned
integers and their external representations.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_u_long(xdrs, ulp)
XDR *xdrs;
unsigned long *ulp;
-
A filter primitive that translates between C
unsigned long
integers and their external representations.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_u_short(xdrs, usp)
XDR *xdrs;
unsigned short *usp;
-
A filter primitive that translates between C
unsigned short
integers and their external representations.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_union(xdrs, dscmp, unp, choices, dfault)
XDR *xdrs;
int *dscmp;
char *unp;
struct xdr_discrim *choices;
bool_t (*defaultarm)(); /* may equal NULL */
-
A filter primitive that translates between a discriminated C
union
and its corresponding external representation. It first
translates the discriminant of the union located at
dscmp.
This discriminant is always an
enum_t.
Next the union located at
unp
is translated. The parameter
choices
is a pointer to an array of
xdr_discrim
structures. Each structure contains an ordered pair of
[value, proc].
If the union's discriminant is equal to the associated
value,
then the
proc
is called to translate the union. The end of the
xdr_discrim
structure array is denoted by a routine of value
NULL .
If the discriminant is not found in the
choices
array, then the
defaultarm
procedure is called (if it's not
NULL
).
Returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_vector(xdrs, arrp, size, elsize, elproc)
XDR *xdrs;
char *arrp;
u_int size, elsize;
xdrproc_t elproc;
-
A filter primitive that translates between fixed-length
arrays
and their corresponding external representations. The
parameter
arrp
is the address of the pointer to the array, while
size
is is the element count of the array. The parameter
elsize
is the
sizeof
each of the array's elements, and
elproc
is an
XDR
filter that translates between
the array elements' C form, and their external
representation.
This routine returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
xdr_void()
-
This routine always returns one.
It may be passed to
RPC
routines that require a function parameter,
where nothing is to be done.
xdr_wrapstring(xdrs, sp)
XDR *xdrs;
char **sp;
-
A primitive that calls
xdr_string(xdrs, sp,
MAXUN.UNSIGNED
);
where
MAXUN.UNSIGNED
is the maximum value of an unsigned integer.
xdr_wrapstring
is handy because the
RPC
package passes a maximum of two
XDR
routines as parameters, and
xdr_string,
one of the most frequently used primitives, requires three.
Returns one if it succeeds, zero otherwise.
SEE ALSO
RPC(3N)
The followin manuals:
-
eXternal Data Representation Standard: Protocol Specification
eXternal Data Representation: Sun Technical Notes
XDR: External Data Representation Standard,
RFC1014, Sun Microsystems, Inc.,
USC-ISI.
Index
- NAME
-
- SYNOPSIS AND DESCRIPTION
-
- SEE ALSO
-
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