ELF Library Functions                            elf_errmsg(3ELF)

NAME
     elf_errmsg, elf_errno - error handling

SYNOPSIS
     cc [ flag ... ] file ... -lelf [ library ... ]
     #include <libelf.h>

     const char *elf_errmsg(int err);

     int elf_errno(void);

DESCRIPTION
     If an  ELF  library  function  fails,  a  program  may  call
     elf_errno() to retrieve the library's internal error number.
     As a side effect, this function resets  the  internal  error
     number to 0, which indicates no error.

     elf_errmsg() takes an  error  number,  err,  and  returns  a
     null-terminated  error  message  (with no trailing new-line)
     that describes the problem. A zero err retrieves  a  message
     for  the  most  recent  error. If no error has occurred, the
     return value is a null pointer (not a pointer  to  the  null
     string).  Using  err  of  -1  also retrieves the most recent
     error, except it guarantees a non-null  return  value,  even
     when  no  error has occurred. If no message is available for
     the given number,  elf_errmsg()  returns  a  pointer  to  an
     appropriate  message.  This  function does not have the side
     effect of clearing the internal error number.

EXAMPLES
     Example 1: A sample  program  of  calling  the  elf_errmsg()
     function.

     The following fragment clears the internal error number  and
     checks it later for errors. Unless an error occurs after the
     first call to elf_errno(), the next call will return 0.

     (void)elf_errno();
     /* processing ... */
     while (more_to_do)
     {
          if ((err = elf_errno()) != 0)
          {
               /* print msg */
               msg = elf_errmsg(err);
          }
     }

ATTRIBUTES
     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:

SunOS 5.8           Last change: 29 Dec 1996                    1

ELF Library Functions                            elf_errmsg(3ELF)

     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | MT-Level                    | MT-Safe                     |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|

SEE ALSO
     elf(3ELF), attributes(5)

SunOS 5.8           Last change: 29 Dec 1996                    2