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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt')
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diff --git a/Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt b/Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..1b7d8f140c --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/technical/api-argv-array.txt @@ -0,0 +1,51 @@ +argv-array API +============== + +The argv-array API allows one to dynamically build and store +NULL-terminated lists. An argv-array maintains the invariant that the +`argv` member always points to a non-NULL array, and that the array is +always NULL-terminated at the element pointed to by `argv[argc]`. This +makes the result suitable for passing to functions expecting to receive +argv from main(), or the link:api-run-command.html[run-command API]. + +The link:api-string-list.html[string-list API] is similar, but cannot be +used for these purposes; instead of storing a straight string pointer, +it contains an item structure with a `util` field that is not compatible +with the traditional argv interface. + +Each `argv_array` manages its own memory. Any strings pushed into the +array are duplicated, and all memory is freed by argv_array_clear(). + +Data Structures +--------------- + +`struct argv_array`:: + + A single array. This should be initialized by assignment from + `ARGV_ARRAY_INIT`, or by calling `argv_array_init`. The `argv` + member contains the actual array; the `argc` member contains the + number of elements in the array, not including the terminating + NULL. + +Functions +--------- + +`argv_array_init`:: + Initialize an array. This is no different than assigning from + `ARGV_ARRAY_INIT`. + +`argv_array_push`:: + Push a copy of a string onto the end of the array. + +`argv_array_pushl`:: + Push a list of strings onto the end of the array. The arguments + should be a list of `const char *` strings, terminated by a NULL + argument. + +`argv_array_pushf`:: + Format a string and push it onto the end of the array. This is a + convenience wrapper combining `strbuf_addf` and `argv_array_push`. + +`argv_array_clear`:: + Free all memory associated with the array and return it to the + initial, empty state. |