explain_stat_or_die(3)

💅 explain_stat_or_die — like, the manual page bestie 💅

okay so this is explain_stat_or_die(3), a Library Functions Manual entry, and it is genuinely one of my faves because it does the absolute most: it peeks at a file's status AND it yells at you in full sentences when things go wrong. iconic behaviour honestly 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

explain_stat_or_die — get file status and report errors 🌸

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

#include <libexplain/stat.h>
void explain_stat_or_die(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);

like. two lines. a header and a vibe. that's it. that's the whole thing. 💖

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so the explain_stat_or_die function is used to call the stat(2) system call. bestie it is literally just a glow-up wrapper around it. 💅

but here's the part that matters: on failure an explanation will be printed to stderr, obtained from explain_stat(3), and then the process terminates by calling exit(EXIT_FAILURE). so yeah — if it goes wrong, it does not quietly sulk, it explains itself and then exits the building. no cap. 😭

this function is intended to be used in a fashion similar to the following example:

explain_stat_or_die(pathname, buf);

that's the whole usage. chef's kiss. ✨

now the arguments, because we respect our parameters in this house:

• pathname — the pathname, exactly as to be passed to the stat(2) system call. don't get creative with it, don't "fix" it up, just hand it over as-is. 🎀
• buf — the buf, exactly as to be passed to the stat(2) system call. same energy. same rule. literally pass it through untouched. 🦋

and then, the returns situation:

• Returns: this function only returns on success. that's it, that's the whole return policy. on failure, it prints an explanation and exits. so if you're still holding the thread of control after this call, congratulations, it worked. if it didn't work, you're not here anymore. main character exit. 👑

⚠️ heads up bestie: this is an _or_die function, which means the die part is not a metaphor. failure = exit(EXIT_FAILURE). it does not return an error code to you. it just leaves. 💀

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• stat(2) — get file status
• explain_stat(3) — explain stat(2) errors
• exit(2) — terminate the calling process

iykyk, that's the whole friend group right there 🫶

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💜 COPYRIGHT 💜

libexplain version 1.4 Copyright (C) 2008 Peter Miller

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and that's the page, bestie 💖 this was explain_stat_or_die(3) from the Library Functions Manual, brought to you by libexplain version 1.4, copyright 2008 Peter Miller — go forth, call stat(2), and may your explanations always be printed and your exits never triggered 🎀✨ slay responsibly 🌸