hdestroy

NAME

       hcreate, hdestroy, hsearch - hash table management

SYNOPSIS

       #include <search.h>

       ENTRY *hsearch(ENTRY item, ACTION action);

DESCRIPTION

       This three functions allow the user to create a hash table
       of type ENTRY (defined in <search.h>) which  associates  a
       key with any data. The implementation uses malloc(3).

       First  the  table  must be created with the function hcre-
       ate().  nel is an estimation of the table size which  will
       suffice the needs. For better algorithms this value can be
       corrected upwards.

       The corresponding function  hdestroy()  frees  the  memory
       occupied  by  the  hash  table for that a new table can be
       constructed.

       hsearch() is the function  for  searching  and  inserting.
       Which  action  is  done  is  controlled  by  the parameter
       action.  It  is  of  the  type  ACTION  (also  defined  in
       <search.h>)  and  can have the values ENTER or FIND. ENTER
       means to insert the given item  and  FIND  means  to  only
       search. Unsuccesful actions result in a return value NULL.

RETURN VALUE

       hcreate() return zero if the hash table cannot be  succes-
       fully installed.

       hsearch()  return  NULL  if either action is ENTER and the
       hash table is full or action is FIND and the  item  cannot
       be find in the hash table.

BUGS

       The  implementation  can  manage  only one hash table at a
       time.

SEE ALSO

       bsearch(3),lsearch(3),malloc(3)