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 representing the address in a notation in common use in the Xerox Development 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 compatible 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 decimal 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 ALSO

hosts(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  —  Revision 1.2 of 19/10/88