NS(3)NS(3)NAME
ns_addr, ns_ntoa - Xerox NS(tm) address conversion routines
SYNOPSIS
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <netns/ns.h>
struct ns_addr ns_addr(cp)
char *cp;
char *ns_ntoa(ns)
struct ns_addr ns;
DESCRIPTION
The routine ns_addr interprets character strings representing XNS
addresses, returning binary information suitable for use in system
calls. ns_ntoa takes XNS addresses and returns ASCII strings repre‐
senting the address in a notation in common use in the Xerox Develop‐
ment Environment:
<network number>.<host number>.<port number>
Trailing zero fields are suppressed, and each number is printed in
hexadecimal, in a format suitable for input to ns_addr. Any fields
lacking super-decimal digits will have a trailing ``H'' appended.
Unfortunately, no universal standard exists for representing XNS
addresses. An effort has been made to insure that ns_addr be compati‐
ble with most formats in common use. It will first separate an address
into 1 to 3 fields using a single delimiter chosen from period (``.''),
colon (``:'') or pound-sign (``#''). Each field is then examined for
byte separators (colon or period). If there are byte separators, each
subfield separated is taken to be a small hexadecimal number, and the
entirety is taken as a network-byte-ordered quantity to be zero
extended in the high-network-order bytes. Next, the field is inspected
for hyphens, in which case the field is assumed to be a number in deci‐
mal notation with hyphens separating the millenia. Next, the field is
assumed to be a number: It is interpreted as hexadecimal if there is a
leading ``0x'' (as in C), a trailing ``H'' (as in Mesa), or there are
any super-decimal digits present. It is interpreted as octal is there
is a leading ``0'' and there are no super-octal digits. Otherwise, it
is converted as a decimal number.
SEE ALSOhosts(5), networks(5),
DIAGNOSTICS
None (see BUGS).
BUGS
The string returned by ns_ntoa resides in a static memory area.
ns_addr should diagnose improperly formed input, and there should be an
unambiguous way to recognize this.
4.3 Berkeley Distribution June 23, 1990 NS(3)
