NAME
compile_et - error table compiler
SYNOPSIS
compile_et file
DESCRIPTION
Compile_et converts a table listing error-code names and associated
messages into a C source file suitable for use with the com_err(3)
library.
The source file name must end with a suffix of ``.et''; the file
consists of a declaration supplying the name (up to four characters
long) of the error-code table:
error_table name
followed by up to 256 entries of the form:
error_code name, " string "
and a final
end
to indicate the end of the table.
The name of the table is used to construct the name of a subroutine
initialize_XXXX_error_table which must be called in order for the
com_err library to recognize the error table.
The various error codes defined are assigned sequentially increasing
numbers (starting with a large number computed as a hash function of
the name of the table); thus for compatibility it is suggested that new
codes be added only to the end of an existing table, and that no codes
be removed from tables.
The names defined in the table are placed into a C header file with
preprocessor directives defining them as integer constants of up to 32
bits in magnitude.
A C source file is also generated which should be compiled and linked
with the object files which reference these error codes; it contains
the text of the messages and the initialization subroutine. Both C
files have names derived from that of the original source file, with
the ``.et'' suffix replaced by ``.c'' and ``.h''.
A ``#'' in the source file is treated as a comment character, and all
remaining text to the end of the source line will be ignored.
BUGS
Since the original compile_et uses a very simple parser based on
yacc(1), and this current version of compile_et uses an awk/sed
combination of scripts, its error recovery leaves much to be desired.
SEE ALSO
com_err (3).
Ken Raeburn, "A Common Error Description Library for UNIX".