hdf_set_valuef(3)

💖 hdf_set_valuef — bestie edition 💖

ok so we're in hdf_set_valuef(3), and the manual we're living in is util/neo_hdf.h. pull up a chair, grab a strawberry 🍓, this one's short and sweet.

✨ NAME ✨

hdf_set_valuef — set the value of a named node. that's it, that's the whole job 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <util/neo_hdf.h>

NEOERR* hdf_set_valuef (HDF *hdf, const char *fmt, ...)
                        ATTRIBUTE_PRINTF(2,3);

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• hdf — the pointer to the hdf dataset. the whole vibe lives here.
• fmt — the name=value printf(3) format string. yes bestie, it's a format string, and the compiler is watching you (see that ATTRIBUTE_PRINTF(2,3)? that's the compiler watching you).

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

ok so hdf_set_valuef is literally just a convenience function that wraps hdf_set_value. it's giving "I'm the friendly little sibling who does the annoying part for you" 🫶

here's the thing though — C has limitations, and because of them the fmt has to be in the format "name=value". so what happens is: we first format the entire string, and then we break it at the first (from the left) equal sign (=), using the left portion as the name and the right portion as the value. the way that one = decides everything… main character energy fr.

ngl, this function is somewhat inefficient: it first allocates the full name=value, then the call to hdf_set_value duplicates the value portion, and then we free the name=value. so that's three whole steps for one little set. we do it anyway. slay.

also — currently, we don't strip whitespace from the key or the value. so whatever spaces you put in there? they're staying. no cap.

and in the future, this function might work more like reading a single line of an HDF string or file, allowing for attributes and symlinks to be specified… maybe. 👀 (the manpage itself said "maybe", I'm not making that up, that's the actual energy of this documentation and I respect it deeply)

🌈 RETURN VALUE 🌈

None. that's it. nothing. no return value, no drama. 🎀

heads up: the declared return type is NEOERR*, so you do get a return you should check — but this manpage's RETURN VALUE section says None, and we don't make stuff up around here. so: the documented return value is None. periodt.

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

the whole extended family, every single one, no skipping:

• 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

ok that's the page!! 💖 this one came from ClearSilver, dated 12 July 2007 — yes bestie, 2007, she's vintage, she's iconic, she's still out here setting values. go forth and name=value responsibly 🧚✨