hdf_set_symlink(3)

✨ hdf_set_symlink — bestie edition ✨

okay so this is hdf_set_symlink(3), living in the util/neo_hdf.h corner of the manual-verse, and it's literally about making one part of your tree point at another part. no cap. 💅

🌸 NAME 🌸

hdf_set_symlink — set part of the tree to link to another 🦋

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

#include <util/neo_hdf.h>

NEOERR *hdf_set_symlink (HDF *hdf, const char *src, const char *dest);

💖 ARGUMENTS 💖

• hdf — the dataset node, aka where all the drama happens 👑
• src — the source node name, the one that's gonna be doing the pointing
• dest — the destination node name, and heads up bestie, this is from the top of the dataset, not relative names 🌈

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so hdf_set_symlink creates a link between two sections of an HDF dataset. the link is "by name", which is literally why it's called a "symlink". 💫

and here's the slay part: the destination node does not need to exist. iconic behavior honestly. any attempt to access the source node will cause the function to walk to the dest node, and then continue walking from there. it's giving teleportation. 🧚

but listen, using symlinks can "hide" values in the dataset, because you won't be able to access any children of the linked node directly 😭 dumps and other things that access the data structure directly will bypass the symlink, so like… the vibe check is uneven.

use this feature sparingly, bestie, because it's likely to surprise you. and not in a cute way. 💀

⭐ RETURN VALUE ⭐

None. that's it. nothing. void. the silence is the answer. 🙈

🫶 SEE ALSO 🫶

• hdf_set_symlink(3)
• hdf_get_valuef(3)
• compareFunc)(3)
• hdf_dump_str(3)
• hdf_get_int_value(3)
• hdf_read_string_ignore(3)
• hdf_copy(3)
• hdf_get_node(3)
• hdf_set_value(3)
• hdf_obj_child(3)
• hdf_read_string(3)
• hdf_set_buf(3)
• hdf_register_fileload(3)
• hdf_get_obj(3)
• hdf_get_attr(3)
• hdf_obj_top(3)
• hdf_dump_format(3)
• hdf_destroy(3)
• hdf_init(3)
• hdf_obj_value(3)
• hdf_write_string(3)
• hdf_set_valuevf(3)
• hdf_sort_obj(3)
• hdf_write_file_atomic(3)
• hdf_obj_attr(3)
• hdf_set_valuef(3)
• hdf_get_copy(3)
• hdf_write_file(3)
• hdf_get_valuevf(3)
• hdf_set_int_value(3)
• hdf_dump(3)
• hdf_get_value(3)
• hdf_set_copy(3)
• hdf_obj_next(3)
• hdf_search_path(3)
• hdf_obj_name(3)
• hdf_set_attr(3)
• hdf_get_child(3)
• hdf_remove_tree

and that's the whole page, no notes. this lil manual moment came from ClearSilver, dated 12 July 2007 — yes bestie, 2007, it's vintage, it's archival, it's mother. 🎀 mwah, go read some more manpages, ily 💜