sf_cfg(3)

NAME
cfgread, cfgget, cfgget2 - functions to read and parse configuration files

SYNOPSIS
#include <strfunc.h>
int
cfgread(char *filename);
char *
cfgget(char *key);
svect *
cfgget2(char *key);

DESCRIPTION
These routines give the user an easy way of creating nice configuration files. The basic idea of configuration files is the attribute=value scheme. Attribute may be writtten as the ordinary english literal word, or placed into the quotes, like a value. Value may also be quoted or be an ordinary english word or combination of alphanumeric characters. Attributes and values may be quoted using the double or single quotes. When quotes are used, escaping can be made much like as in Bourne shell or in the C code. Once read, file is closed, but attribute and values stored internally and may be used multiple times.

There are two general forms of defining an attribute=value pairs. Two forms are defined using the following BNF:

    	<simple_word>	:=	1*<A-Z0-9>
    	<quoted_string>	:=	<QUOTE> *<any character except 0> <QUOTE>
    	<attr>		:= <simple_word> | <quoted_string>
    	<value>		:= <quoted_string> | <simple_word>
    	<generic_form>	:= <attribute> = <value> [ ; ]
    	<multiple>	:= <attribute> { <value> *<[ , <value> ]> }  [ ; ]

cfgread() function used to read and parse the configuration file.

cfgget() returns an appropriate value for the specified key.

cfgget2() may be required if multiple values are expected. It allocates the svect * structure that must be freed by caller with sfree().

EXAMPLE

    void cfgparse() {
    	char *value1;
    	svect *values2;
    	svect *values3;
    	int r;
    	if((r=cfgread("/path/to/config.file")) != 0) {
    		if(r > 0) {
    			printf("Wrong file format.);
    		} else {
    			printf("File access failed.);
    		};
    		return;
    	};
    	value1	= cfgget("key1");
    	values2	= cfgget2("key2");
    	values3	= cfgget2("key3");
    	/* Free allocated structures */
    	sfree(values2);
    	sfree(values3);
    };

CONFIGURATION FILE EXAMPLE

    key1 = "value";
    key2 = "this multiline
    		value will be
    		\"passed\" to values2.";
    key3 = {
    	"value1",
    	"value2",
    	"value3"
    };
    key2 = "Hello again!";

SEE ALSO
strfunc(3), sf_svect(3).

AUTHORS
Lev Walkin <vlm@spelio.net.ru>