UI_GET_STRING_TYPE(3)

🌸 NAME 🌸

UI_get_string_type, UI_get_input_flags, UI_get0_output_string, UI_get0_action_string, UI_get0_result_string, UI_get0_test_string, UI_get_result_minsize, UI_get_result_maxsize, UI_set_result — okay bestie, this is the OpenSSL user interface string parsing squad. This page is UI_GET_STRING_TYPE(3) from the Library Functions Manual, and it’s giving “peek at UI_STRING objects and set prompt results” main character energy. 💅✨

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

library “libcrypto” #include <openssl/ui.h>

enum UI_string_types {
        UIT_NONE = 0,
        UIT_PROMPT,     /* Prompt for a string */
        UIT_VERIFY,     /* Prompt for a string and verify */
        UIT_BOOLEAN,    /* Prompt for a yes/no response */
        UIT_INFO,       /* Send info to the user */
        UIT_ERROR       /* Send an error message to the user */
};

enum UI_string_types
UI_get_string_type(UI_STRING *uis);

int
UI_get_input_flags(UI_STRING *uis);

const char *
UI_get0_output_string(UI_STRING *uis);

const char *
UI_get0_action_string(UI_STRING *uis);

const char *
UI_get0_result_string(UI_STRING *uis);

const char *
UI_get0_test_string(UI_STRING *uis);

int
UI_get_result_minsize(UI_STRING *uis);

int
UI_get_result_maxsize(UI_STRING *uis);

int
UI_set_result(UI *ui, UI_STRING *uis, const char *result);

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

Okay so here’s the lore, no cap: a UI_STRING gets created internally and added to a UI object whenever one of these functions is called: UI_add_input_string(3), UI_dup_input_string(3), UI_add_verify_string(3), UI_dup_verify_string(3), UI_add_input_boolean(3), UI_dup_input_boolean(3), UI_add_info_string(3), UI_dup_info_string(3), UI_add_error_string(3), or UI_dup_error_string(3). If you’re a UI_METHOD user, there’s no need to know more. If you’re a UI_METHOD creator, it is of interest to fetch text from these UI_STRING objects as well as adding results to some of them. 👑

• UI_get_string_type() — used to retrieve the type of the given UI_STRING. Lowkey essential for the vibe check. 💖
• UI_get_input_flags() — used to retrieve the flags associated with the given UI_STRING. Flags, bestie. 🎀
• UI_get0_output_string() — used to retrieve the actual string to output (prompt, info, error, ...). Iconic output behavior. ✨
• UI_get0_action_string() — used to retrieve the action description associated with a UIT_BOOLEAN type UI_STRING. See UI_add_input_boolean(3). 🦋
• UI_get0_result_string() — used to retrieve the result of a prompt. This is only useful for UIT_PROMPT and UIT_VERIFY type strings. Iykyk. 💅
• UI_get0_test_string() — used to retrieve the string to compare the prompt result with. This is only useful for UIT_VERIFY type strings. 🫶
• UI_get_result_minsize() and UI_get_result_maxsize() — used to retrieve the minimum and maximum required size of the result. This is only useful for UIT_PROMPT and UIT_VERIFY type strings. 🍓
• UI_set_result() — used to set the result value of a prompt. For UIT_PROMPT and UIT_VERIFY type UI strings, this sets the result retrievable with UI_get0_result_string() by copying the contents of result if its length fits the minimum and maximum size requirements. For UIT_BOOLEAN type UI strings, this sets the first character of the result retrievable with UI_get0_result_string() to the first of the ok_chars given with UI_add_input_boolean(3) or UI_dup_input_boolean(3) if the result matched any of them, or the first of the cancel_chars if the result matched any of them; otherwise it’s set to the NUL char. See UI_add_input_boolean(3) for more information on ok_chars and cancel_chars. 🌈

💖 RETURN VALUES 💖

• UI_get_string_type() returns the UI string type. Periodt. 💅
• UI_get_input_flags() returns the UI string flags. ✨
• UI_get0_output_string() returns the UI string output string. 🎀
• UI_get0_action_string() returns the UI string action description string for UIT_BOOLEAN type UI strings, or NULL for any other type. 🦋
• UI_get0_result_string() returns the UI string result buffer for UIT_PROMPT and UIT_VERIFY type UI strings, or NULL for any other type. 🫶
• UI_get0_test_string() returns the UI string action description string for UIT_VERIFY type UI strings, or NULL for any other type. Not me double-checking that line — but yes, it says action description string here, and we’re keeping the lore exactly as written. 😭
• UI_get_result_minsize() returns the minimum allowed result size for the UI string for UIT_PROMPT and UIT_VERIFY type strings, or -1 for any other type. 🍓
• UI_get_result_maxsize() returns the minimum allowed result size for the UI string for UIT_PROMPT and UIT_VERIFY type strings, or -1 for any other type. Highkey the page says minimum here too, bestie — I’m just delivering the message fr fr. 💀
• UI_set_result() returns 0 on success or when the UI string is of any type other than UIT_PROMPT, UIT_VERIFY, or UIT_BOOLEAN, or -1 on error. 🧚

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

UI_new(3) — that’s the whole see-also section, bestie. Go give it a vibe check. 👑

⭐ HISTORY ⭐

These functions first appeared in OpenSSL 0.9.7 and have been available since OpenBSD 3.2. Not me stanning an old-school debut — but here we are. 🧚

This page is from the Debian edition, dated June 8, 2025. 💜