X Version 11 (Release 5)
XrmGetResource(XS)
XrmGetResource --
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, XrmQPutResource, 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^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
XrmQGetSearchResource 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 ``*'' 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 partially 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 ``?'') 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 determined, 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:
-
An entry that contains a matching component
(whether name, class, or ``?'')
takes precedence over entries that elide the level (that is, entries
that match the level in a loose binding).
-
An entry with a matching name takes precedence over both entries
with a matching class and entries that match using ``?''.
An entry with a matching class takes precedence over
entries that match using ``?''.
-
An entry preceded by a tight binding takes precedence over
entries preceded by a loose binding.
See also
XrmInitialize(XS),
XrmMergeDatabases(XS),
XrmPutResource(XS),
XrmUniqueQuark(XS)
Xlib - C Language X Interface
© 2003 Caldera International, Inc. All rights reserved.
SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.7 -- 11 February 2003