


ITEM(SFS3)        MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES         ITEM(SFS3)



NAME
     item - high-level data file manipulation routines

OVERVIEW
     These routines provide a simple interface to the SFS library
     for  users operating on small data sets.  The routines allow
     the user to locate, load, process and write  out  data  sets
     providing  that  they  may  be  kept  entirely within memory
     buffers.

SYNOPSIS
     getitem(filename,it,ty,item,buff)
     char    *filename;          /* pathname of file */
     int     it;                 /* item type */
     char    *ty;                /* item specifier */
     struct item_header *item;   /* returned item header */
     void    *(buff[]);          /* returned buffer address */

     putitem(filename,item,numf,buff)
     char    *filename;          /* pathname of file */
     struct item_header *item;   /* item header */
     int     numf;               /* # frames to write */
     void    *buff;              /* buffer address */

     putNitems(filename,item,numf,buff,numitem)
     char    *filename;          /* pathname of file */
     struct item_header *item;   /* item header */
     int     numf;               /* # frames to write */
     void    *buff;              /* buffer address */
     int     numitem;            /* number of items */


DESCRIPTION
     getitem searches filename and for a data set of type it  and
     of  subtype  specification ty. If the data set is found, its
     item header is returned in item and the data is loaded  into
     a  dynamically-allocated  buffer,  the  address  of which is
     returned in buff. The routine does not return on failure.

     putitem adds to existing data file  filename  the  data  set
     described by item, numf and buff.

     putNitems is a generalisation of putitem for adding multiple
     items  to  a file.  putNitems stores the data sets passed in
     item, numf and buff in temporary files and only updates  the
     existing data file filename the last time it is called.  The
     parameter numitem should be used to specify  the  number  of
     data sets.  Example use is:

          #define NUMITEMS 3
          :
          putNitems(filename,&item1,numf1,data1,NUMITEMS);



SFS                     Last change: UCL                        1






ITEM(SFS3)        MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES         ITEM(SFS3)



          :
          putNitems(filename,&item2,numf2,data2,NUMITEMS);
          :
          putNitems(filename,&item3,numf3,data3,NUMITEMS);


DIAGNOSTICS
     These routines terminate if any error is  discovered.   They
     report failure using a call to error(SFS3) which may be pro-
     vided in the user program.

VERSION/AUTHOR
     3.0 - SFS versions: Mark Huckvale

SEE ALSO
     sfs(SFS3) error(SFS3)







































SFS                     Last change: UCL                        2



