XrmGetResource(3X11) XLIB FUNCTIONS XrmGetResource(3X11)
NAME
XrmGetResource, XrmQGetResource, XrmQGetSearchList, XrmQGetSearchResource -
retrieve database resources and search lists
SYNTAX
Bool XrmGetResource(database, str_name, str_class, str_type_return,
value_return)
XrmDatabase database;
char *str_name;
char *str_class;
char **str_type_return;
XrmValue *value_return;
Bool XrmQGetResource(database, quark_name, quark_class, quark_type_return,
value_return)
XrmDatabase database;
XrmNameList quark_name;
XrmClassList quark_class;
XrmRepresentation *quark_type_return;
XrmValue *value_return;
typedef XrmHashTable *XrmSearchList;
Bool XrmQGetSearchList(database, names, classes, list_return, list_length)
XrmDatabase database;
XrmNameList names;
XrmClassList classes;
XrmSearchList list_return;
int list_length;
Bool XrmQGetSearchResource(list, name, class, type_return, value_return)
XrmSearchList list;
XrmName name;
XrmClass class;
XrmRepresentation *type_return;
XrmValue *value_return;
ARGUMENTS
class Specifies the resource class.
classes Specifies a list of resource classes.
database Specifies the database that is to be used.
list Specifies the search list returned by XrmQGetSearchList.
list_length
Specifies the number of entries (not the byte size) allocated for
list_return.
list_return
Returns a search list for further use.
name Specifies the resource name.
names Specifies a list of resource names.
quark_class
Specifies the fully qualified class of the value being retrieved
(as a quark).
quark_name
Specifies the fully qualified name of the value being retrieved
(as a quark).
quark_type_return
Returns the representation type of the destination (as a quark).
str_class Specifies the fully qualified class of the value being retrieved
(as a string).
str_name Specifies the fully qualified name of the value being retrieved
(as a string).
str_type_return
Returns the representation type of the destination (as a string).
type_return
Returns data representation type.
value_return
Returns the value in the database.
DESCRIPTION
The XrmGetResource and XrmQGetResource functions retrieve a resource from
the specified database. Both take a fully qualified name/class pair, a
destination resource representation, and the address of a value
(size/address pair). The value and returned type point into database
memory; therefore, you must not modify the data.
The database only frees or overwrites entries on XrmPutResource, XrmQPu-
tResource, or XrmMergeDatabases. A client that is not storing new values
into the database or is not merging the database should be safe using the
address passed back at any time until it exits. If a resource was found,
both XrmGetResource and XrmQGetResource return True; otherwise, they return
False.
The XrmQGetSearchList function takes a list of names and classes and
returns a list of database levels where a match might occur. The returned
list is in best-to-worst order and uses the same algorithm as
XrmGetResource for determining precedence. If list_return was large enough
for the search list, XrmQGetSearchList returns True; otherwise, it returns
False.
The size of the search list that the caller must allocate is dependent upon
the number of levels and wildcards in the resource specifiers that are
stored in the database. The worst case length is %3 sup n%, where n is the
number of name or class components in names or classes.
When using XrmQGetSearchList followed by multiple probes for resources with
a common name and class prefix, only the common prefix should be specified
in the name and class list to XrmQGetSearchList.
The XrmQGetSearchResource function searches the specified database levels
for the resource that is fully identified by the specified name and class.
The search stops with the first match. XrmQGetSearchResource returns True
if the resource was found; otherwise, it returns False.
A call to XrmQGetSearchList with a name and class list containing all but
the last component of a resource name followed by a call to XrmQGetSear-
chResource with the last component name and class returns the same database
entry as XrmGetResource and XrmQGetResource with the fully qualified name
and class.
MATCHING RULES
The algorithm for determining which resource database entry matches a given
query is the heart of the resource manager. All queries must fully specify
the name and class of the desired resource (use of the characters ``*'' and
``?'' are not permitted). The library supports up to 100 components in a
full name or class. Resources are stored in the database with only par-
tially specified names and classes, using pattern matching constructs. An
asterisk (*) is a loose binding and is used to represent any number of
intervening components, including none. A period (.) is a tight binding
and is used to separate immediately adjacent components. A question mark
(?) is used to match any single component name or class. A database entry
cannot end in a loose binding; the final component (which cannot be the
character ``?'') must be specified. The lookup algorithm searches the
database for the entry that most closely matches (is most specific for) the
full name and class being queried. When more than one database entry
matches the full name and class, precedence rules are used to select just
one.
The full name and class are scanned from left to right (from highest level
in the hierarchy to lowest), one component at a time. At each level, the
corresponding component and/or binding of each matching entry is deter-
mined, and these matching components and bindings are compared according to
precedence rules. Each of the rules is applied at each level before moving
to the next level, until a rule selects a single entry over all others.
The rules, in order of precedence, are:
1. An entry that contains a matching component (whether name, class, or
the character ``?'') takes precedence over entries that elide the
level (that is, entries that match the level in a loose binding).
2. An entry with a matching name takes precedence over both entries with
a matching class and entries that match using the character ``?''. An
entry with a matching class takes precedence over entries that match
using the character ``?''.
3. An entry preceded by a tight binding takes precedence over entries
preceded by a loose binding.
SEE ALSO
XrmInitialize(3X11), XrmMergeDatabases(3X11), XrmPutResource(3X11),
XrmUniqueQuark(3X11)
Xlib - C Language X Interface