man/man3/inet.3

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.\"     @(#)inet.3      6.7 (Berkeley) 2/14/89
.\"
.TH INET 3 "February 14, 1989"
.UC 5
.SH NAME
inet_addr, inet_network, inet_ntoa, inet_makeaddr, inet_lnaof, inet_netof \- Internet address manipulation routines
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
.B "#include <sys/socket.h>
.B "#include <netinet/in.h>
.B "#include <arpa/inet.h>
.PP
.B "unsigned long inet_addr(cp)
.B "char *cp;
.PP
.B "unsigned long inet_network(cp)
.B "char *cp;
.PP
.B "char *inet_ntoa(in)
.B "struct in_addr in;
.PP
.B "struct in_addr inet_makeaddr(net, lna)
.B "int net, lna;
.PP
.B "unsigned long inet_lnaof(in)
.B "struct in_addr in;
.PP
.B "unsigned long inet_netof(in)
.B "struct in_addr in;
.fi
.SH DESCRIPTION
The routines
.I inet_addr
and
.I inet_network
each interpret character strings representing
numbers expressed in the Internet standard \*(lq.\*(rq
notation, returning numbers suitable for use
as Internet addresses and Internet network
numbers, respectively.  The routine
.I inet_ntoa
takes an Internet address and returns an ASCII
string representing the address in \*(lq.\*(rq
notation.  The routine
.I inet_makeaddr
takes an Internet network number and a local
network address and constructs an Internet address
from it.  The routines
.I inet_netof
and
.I inet_lnaof
break apart Internet host addresses, returning
the network number and local network address part,
respectively.
.PP
All Internet address are returned in network
order (bytes ordered from left to right).
All network numbers and local address parts are
returned as machine format integer values.
.SH "INTERNET ADDRESSES"
Values specified using the \*(lq.\*(rq notation take one
of the following forms:
.RS
.nf
a.b.c.d
a.b.c
a.b
a
.RE
.fi
When four parts are specified, each is interpreted
as a byte of data and assigned, from left to right,
to the four bytes of an Internet address.  Note
that when an Internet address is viewed as a 32-bit
integer quantity on the VAX the bytes referred to
above appear as \*(lqd.c.b.a\*(rq.  That is, VAX bytes are
ordered from right to left.
.PP
When a three part address is specified, the last
part is interpreted as a 16-bit quantity and placed
in the right most two bytes of the network address.
This makes the three part address format convenient
for specifying Class B network addresses as
\*(lq128.net.host\*(rq.
.PP
When a two part address is supplied, the last part
is interpreted as a 24-bit quantity and placed in
the right most three bytes of the network address.
This makes the two part address format convenient
for specifying Class A network addresses as
\*(lqnet.host\*(rq.
.PP
When only one part is given, the value is stored
directly in the network address without any byte
rearrangement.
.PP
All numbers supplied as \*(lqparts\*(rq in a \*(lq.\*(rq notation
may be decimal, octal, or hexadecimal, as specified
in the C language (i.e., a leading 0x or 0X implies
hexadecimal; otherwise, a leading 0 implies octal;
otherwise, the number is interpreted as decimal).
.SH "SEE ALSO"
gethostbyname(3), getnetent(3), hosts(5), networks(5),
.SH DIAGNOSTICS
The constant \fBINADDR_NONE\fP is returned by
.I inet_addr
and
.I inet_network
for malformed requests.
.SH BUGS
The problem of host byte ordering versus network byte ordering is
confusing.  A simple way to specify Class C network addresses in a manner
similar to that for Class B and Class A is needed.
The string returned by
.I inet_ntoa
resides in a static memory area.
.br
Inet_addr should return a struct in_addr.