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-rw-r--r--doc/gdbm.texinfo51
-rw-r--r--doc/gdbmtool.187
2 files changed, 115 insertions, 23 deletions
diff --git a/doc/gdbm.texinfo b/doc/gdbm.texinfo
index 00acc41..0d58f64 100644
--- a/doc/gdbm.texinfo
+++ b/doc/gdbm.texinfo
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ this error equally as @samp{GDBM_ILLEGAL_DATA}.
Mild errors mean that the function was able to successfully load and
restore the data, but was unable to change database file metadata
-afterwards. The table below lists possible values for @code{gdbm_errno}
+afterward. The table below lists possible values for @code{gdbm_errno}
in this case. To get more detail, inspect the system @code{errno} variable.
@table @asis
@@ -2078,7 +2078,7 @@ for a list of its values.
@item lock
Whether or not to lock the database. Default is @samp{on}.
@item mmap
-Use the memmory mapping. Default is @samp{on}.
+Use the memory mapping. Default is @samp{on}.
@item sync
Synchronize after each write. Default is @samp{off}.
@end table
@@ -2105,13 +2105,13 @@ information displayed:
@example
Database file: junk.gdbm
Database is open
-define key @{
- string,
-@}
-define content @{
- string,
-@}
+define key string
+define content string
@end example
+
+The two @samp{define} strings show the defined formats for key and
+content data. @xref{definitions}, for a detailed discussion of their
+meaning.
@end deffn
@deffn {command verb} store @var{key} @var{data}
@@ -2174,37 +2174,39 @@ Signed long long integer.
@item ullong
Unsigned long long integer.
@item float
-A float.
+A floating point number.
@item double
-A double.
+Double-precision floating point number.
@item string
+Array of bytes.
+@item stringz
Null-terminated string, trailing null being part of the string.
-@item zstring
-A string of characters without the terminating null.
@end table
All numeric data types (integer as well as floating point) have the
same respective widths as in C language on the host where the database
file resides.
-The @samp{string} and @samp{zstring} are special. Both define a
+The @samp{string} and @samp{stringz} are special. Both define a
string of bytes, similar to @samp{char x[]} in C. The former
-defines a null-terminated string, the latter - a string without null
-terminator. This makes difference when the string is the only part of
-datum. Consider the following two definitions:
+defines an array of bytes, the latter - a null-terminated string.
+This makes a difference, in particular, when the string is the only
+part of datum. Consider the following two definitions:
@enumerate 1
@item @code{define key string}
-@item @code{define key zstring}
+@item @code{define key stringz}
@end enumerate
@noindent
Now, suppose we want to store the string "ab" in the key. Using the
definition (1), the @code{dptr} member of GDBM @code{datum} will
-contain three bytes: @samp{a}, @samp{b}, and ASCII 0. The
-@code{dsize} member will have the value 3. Using the definition (2),
-the @code{dptr} member will contain two bytes: @samp{a} and @samp{b},
-and the @code{dsize} member will have the value 2.
+contain two bytes: @samp{a}, and @samp{b}. Consequently, the
+@code{dsize} member will have the value 2. Using the definition (2),
+the @code{dptr} member will contain three bytes: @samp{a}, @samp{b},
+and ASCII 0. The @code{dsize} member will have the value 3.
+
+The definition (1) is the default for both key and content.
The second form of the @code{define} statement is similar to the C
@code{struct} statement and allows for defining structural data. In
@@ -2241,6 +2243,11 @@ define content @{
@}
@end example
+@empth{NOTE}: The @samp{string} type can reasonably be used only if it
+is the last or the only member of the data structure. That's because it
+provides no information about the number of elements in the array, so
+it is interpreted to contain all bytes up to the end of the datum.
+
When displaying the structured data, @command{gdbmtool} precedes each
value with the corresponding field name and delimits parts of the
structure with the string defined in the @samp{delim1} variable
@@ -2282,7 +2289,7 @@ records:
@group
set quiet
set ps1="(%f) "
-
+define key stringz
define content @{
int time,
pad 4,
diff --git a/doc/gdbmtool.1 b/doc/gdbmtool.1
index 2326a32..a04fbef 100644
--- a/doc/gdbmtool.1
+++ b/doc/gdbmtool.1
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
.\"
.\" You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
.\" along with GDBM. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>. */
-.TH GDBM_DUMP 1 "May 9, 2013" "GDBM" "GDBM User Reference"
+.TH GDBM_DUMP 1 "May 17, 2013" "GDBM" "GDBM User Reference"
.SH NAME
gdbmtool \- examine and modify a GDBM database
.SH SYNOPSIS
@@ -244,6 +244,91 @@ Unsets listed variables.
Print the version of
.BR gdbm .
.SH "DATA DEFINITIONS"
+The \fBdefine\fR statement provides a mechanism for defining key or
+content structures. It is similar to the \fBC\fR \fBstruct\fR
+declaration:
+.sp
+.nf
+.in +4
+\fBdefine\fR \fBkey\fR|\fBcontent\fR \fB{\fR \fIdefnlist\fR \fB}\fR
+.in
+.fi
+.PP
+The \fIdefnlist\fR is a comma-separated list of member declarations.
+Within \fIdefnlist\fR the newline character looses its special meaning
+as the command terminator, so each declaration can appear on a
+separate line and arbitrary number of comments can be inserted to
+document the definition.
+.PP
+Each declaration has one of the following formats
+.sp
+.nf
+.in +4
+\fItype\fR \fIname\fR
+\fItype\fR \fIname\fR \fB[\fIN\fB]\fR
+.in
+.fi
+.sp
+where \fItype\fR is a data type and \fIname\fR is the member name.
+The second format defines the member \fIname\fR as an array of \fIN\fR
+elements of \fItype\fR.
+.PP
+The supported types are:
+.sp
+.nf
+.ta 8n 20n
+.ul
+ type meaning
+ char single byte (signed)
+ short signed short integer
+ ushort unsigned short integer
+ int signed integer
+ unsigned unsigned integer
+ uint ditto
+ long signed long integer
+ ulong unsigned long integer
+ llong signed long long integer
+ ullong unsigned long long integer
+ float a floating point number
+ double double-precision floating point number
+ string array of characters (see the \fBNOTE\fR below)
+ stringz null-terminated string of characters
+.fi
+.PP
+The following alignment declarations can be used within \fIdefnlist\fR:
+.TP
+\fBoffset\fR \fIN\fR
+The next member begins at offset \fIN\fR.
+.TP
+\fBpad\fR \fIN\fR
+Add \fIN\fR bytes of padding to the previous member.
+.PP
+For example:
+.sp
+.nf
+.in +4
+\fBdefine content {
+ int status,
+ pad 8,
+ char id[3],
+ stringz name
+}\fR
+.fi
+.PP
+To define data consisting of a single data member, the following
+simplified construct can be used:
+.sp
+.nf
+.in +4
+\fBdefine\fR \fBkey\fR|\fBcontent\fR \fItype\fR
+.fi
+.PP
+where \fItype\fR is one of the types discussed above.
+.PP
+\fBNOTE\fR: The \fBstring\fR type can reasonably be used only if it is
+the last or the only member of the data structure. That's because it
+provides no information about the number of elements in the array, so
+it is interpreted to contain all bytes up to the end of the datum.
.SH VARIABLES
.TP
.BR confirm ", boolean"

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