The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 6
IEEE Std 1003.1, 2004 Edition
Copyright © 2001-2004 The IEEE and The Open Group, All Rights reserved.

#### NAME

> endhostent, gethostent, sethostent - network host database functions

#### SYNOPSIS

> ``#include <netdb.h>
> void endhostent(void);
> struct hostent *gethostent(void);
> void sethostent(int` stayopen`);
> ``

#### DESCRIPTION

> These functions shall retrieve information about hosts. This information is considered to be stored in a database that can be accessed sequentially or randomly. The implementation of this database is unspecified.

> Note:
>   In many cases this database is implemented by the Domain Name System, as documented in RFC 1034, RFC 1035, and RFC 1886.

> The sethostent() function shall open a connection to the database and set the next entry for retrieval to the first entry in the database. If the stayopen argument is non-zero, the connection shall not be closed by a call to gethostent(), gethostbyname(), or gethostbyaddr(), and the implementation may maintain an open file descriptor.

> The gethostent() function shall read the next entry in the database, opening and closing a connection to the database as necessary.

> Entries shall be returned in hostent structures. Refer to gethostbyaddr() for a definition of the hostent structure.

> The endhostent() function shall close the connection to the database, releasing any open file descriptor.

> These functions need not be reentrant. A function that is not required to be reentrant is not required to be thread-safe.

#### RETURN VALUE

> Upon successful completion, the gethostent() function shall return a pointer to a hostent structure if the requested entry was found, and a null pointer if the end of the database was reached or the requested entry was not found.

#### ERRORS

> No errors are defined for endhostent(), gethostent(), and sethostent().

The following sections are informative.

#### EXAMPLES

> None.

#### APPLICATION USAGE

> The gethostent() function may return pointers to static data, which may be overwritten by subsequent calls to any of these functions.

#### RATIONALE

> None.

#### FUTURE DIRECTIONS

> None.

#### SEE ALSO

> endservent(), gethostbyaddr(), the Base Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, <netdb.h>

#### CHANGE HISTORY

> First released in Issue 6. Derived from the XNS, Issue 5.2 specification.

End of informative text.

UNIX ® is a registered Trademark of The Open Group.
POSIX ® is a registered Trademark of The IEEE.
[ Main Index | XBD | XCU | XSH | XRAT ]