ELF_GETSHSTRNDX(3)

💖 ELF_GETSHSTRNDX(3) — bestie edition 💖

okay so this is a page from the Library Functions Manual for ELF_GETSHSTRNDX(3), and it lives in the ELF Access Library (that's libelf, link it with -lelf 🧚). Buckle up, we're reading section headers together and it's gonna be a whole thing ✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

elf_getshstrndx, elf_setshstrndx — the duo that retrieves/updates the index of the section name string table 🎀

🦋 LIBRARY 🦋

ELF Access Library (that's libelf, and you link it with -lelf, no cap) 💅

⭐ SYNOPSIS ⭐

first, the include. you know the drill:

#include <libelf.h>

then the two functions, bestie:

int
elf_getshstrndx(Elf *elf, size_t *ndxptr);

int
elf_setshstrndx(Elf *elf, size_t ndx);

💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

so like, elf_getshstrndx() is deprecated — I'm sorry, I don't make the rules 😭 please use elf_getshdrstrndx(3) instead, okay? it's the upgraded version, the glow-up, the main character. use that one.

anyway 💖 elf_getshstrndx() retrieves the section index of the string table containing section names from descriptor elf, and it stores it into the location pointed to by argument ndxptr. very demure, very mindful.

then elf_setshstrndx() sets the index of the section name string table to argument ndx.

and the whole point of these routines? they let applications process both normal ELF objects and ELF objects that use extended section numbering, uniformly. iconic behavior honestly 👑

🎀 RETURN VALUES 🎀

these functions return a non-zero value if successful, or zero in case of an error. simple as that ✨

🔥 ERRORS 🔥

these functions can fail with the following errors, and you WILL know about it:

• [ELF_E_ARGUMENT] — a NULL value was passed in for argument elf. not the vibe 🙈
• [ELF_E_ARGUMENT] — argument elf was not for an ELF file.
• [ELF_E_ARGUMENT] — argument elf lacks an ELF Executable header.
• [ELF_E_ARGUMENT] — argument ndx contained a value in the reserved range of section indices.

bestie note 💀: all four of these are ELF_E_ARGUMENT. if you're getting one of these, check your arguments first — the library is literally telling you which one is sus.

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

go read these too, iykyk:

elf(3), elf32_getehdr(3), elf64_getehdr(3), elf_getident(3), elf_getphdrnum(3), elf_getshdrnum(3), gelf(3), gelf_getehdr(3) 🫶

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that's the whole page, bestie 🍓 this one came from the Debian crew, dated July 25, 2018 — go off, mystery maintainers, we appreciate you 💜✨ and remember: elf_getshstrndx() is deprecated, so go use elf_getshdrstrndx(3) instead. periodt 💅