explain_time(3)

✨ explain_time(3) ✨ — Library Functions Manual 💅

okay bestie, sit down, we're talking about explain_time from libexplain — it's the glow-up your time(2) error messages have been begging for. this whole page lives in section 3 of the manual, and it's about explaining time(2) errors. let's get into it 🫶

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🌸 NAME 🌸

explain_time — explain time(2) errors 💖

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

#include <libexplain/time.h>
const char *explain_time(time_t *t);
const char *explain_errno_time(int errnum, time_t *t);
void explain_message_time(char *message, int message_size, time_t *t);
void explain_message_errno_time(char *message, int message_size, int
errnum, time_t *t);

like, four whole functions, all here to hold your hand when time(2) acts up ✨

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

These functions may be used to obtain explanations for errors returned by the time(2) system call.

translation: when time(2) goes wrong, these are the girlies you call to find out why 💜

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👑 explain_time

const char *explain_time(time_t *t);

The explain_time function is used to obtain an explanation of an error returned by the time(2) system call. The least the message will contain is the value of strerror(errno), but usually it will do much better, and indicate the underlying cause in more detail. main character energy fr fr 🌈

The errno global variable will be used to obtain the error value to be decoded.

• t — The original t, exactly as passed to the time(2) system call. no edits, no vibes-based reinterpretation, just the exact same t 💅

Returns:

The message explaining the error. This message buffer is shared by all libexplain functions which do not supply a buffer in their argument list. This will be overwritten by the next call to any libexplain function which shares this buffer, including other threads.

⚠️ Note: This function is not thread safe, because it shares a return buffer across all threads, and many other functions in this library. it's giving "one shared notebook in a group project," and we all know how that ends 😭

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

time_t result = time(t);
if (result == (time_t)-1)
{
    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", explain_time(t));
    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
}

The above code example is available pre‐packaged as the explain_time_or_die(3) function. convenience icon behavior, we love to see it 🎀

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🌸 explain_errno_time

const char *explain_errno_time(int errnum, time_t *t);

The explain_errno_time function is used to obtain an explanation of an error returned by the time(2) system call. The least the message will contain is the value of strerror(errno), but usually it will do much better, and indicate the underlying cause in more detail. ✨

• errnum — The error value to be decoded, usually obtained from the errno global variable just before this function is called. This is necessary if you need to call any code between the system call to be explained and this function, because many libc functions will alter the value of errno. so grab errno early or it'll ghost you 👻
• t — The original t, exactly as passed to the time(2) system call.

Returns:

The message explaining the error. This message buffer is shared by all libexplain functions which do not supply a buffer in their argument list. This will be overwritten by the next call to any libexplain function which shares this buffer, including other threads.

⚠️ Note: This function is not thread safe, because it shares a return buffer across all threads, and many other functions in this library. same shared-buffer situation, no cap 💀

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

time_t result = time(t);
if (result == (time_t)-1)
{
    int err = errno;
    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", explain_errno_time(err, t));
    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
}

The above code example is available pre‐packaged as the explain_time_or_die(3) function. 🫶

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💖 explain_message_time

void explain_message_time(char *message, int message_size, time_t *t);

The explain_message_time function is used to obtain an explanation of an error returned by the time(2) system call. The least the message will contain is the value of strerror(errno), but usually it will do much better, and indicate the underlying cause in more detail.

The errno global variable will be used to obtain the error value to be decoded.

• message — The location in which to store the returned message. If a suitable message return buffer is supplied, this function is thread safe. yes bestie, YOU supply the buffer, YOU get thread safety. that's the deal 🤝
• message_size — The size in bytes of the location in which to store the returned message.
• t — The original t, exactly as passed to the time(2) system call.

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

time_t result = time(t);
if (result == (time_t)-1)
{
    char message[3000];
    explain_message_time(message, sizeof(message), t);
    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message);
    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
}

The above code example is available pre‐packaged as the explain_time_or_die(3) function. 💅

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🌈 explain_message_errno_time

void explain_message_errno_time(char *message, int message_size, int
errnum, time_t *t);

The explain_message_errno_time function is used to obtain an explanation of an error returned by the time(2) system call. The least the message will contain is the value of strerror(errno), but usually it will do much better, and indicate the underlying cause in more detail. the final boss form, honestly 👑

• message — The location in which to store the returned message. If a suitable message return buffer is supplied, this function is thread safe.
• message_size — The size in bytes of the location in which to store the returned message.
• errnum — The error value to be decoded, usually obtained from the errno global variable just before this function is called. This is necessary if you need to call any code between the system call to be explained and this function, because many libc functions will alter the value of errno. capture it before anything else touches it, periodt ⭐
• t — The original t, exactly as passed to the time(2) system call.

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

time_t result = time(t);
if (result == (time_t)-1)
{
    int err = errno;
    char message[3000];
    explain_message_errno_time(message, sizeof(message), err, t);
    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", message);
    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
}

The above code example is available pre‐packaged as the explain_time_or_die(3) function. 🎀

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• time(2) — get time in seconds
• explain_time_or_die(3) — get time in seconds and report errors

iykyk, go read those next, they're the whole vibe 🌸

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💜 COPYRIGHT 💜

• libexplain version 1.4
• Copyright (C) 2009 Peter Miller

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and that's the whole page bestie, no notes 🦋 this was explain_time(3) from the Library Functions Manual, brought to you by libexplain version 1.4, copyright (C) 2009 Peter Miller — stan a legend, and go forth and explain those time(2) errors with confidence 💖✨👑