nlist(3bsd)

💖 nlist(3bsd) — LOCAL 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the nlist(3bsd) page, filed under LOCAL. pull up a chair, we're doing symbol tables today and honestly? it's giving main character energy. 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

nlist — retrieve symbol table name list from an executable file 🦋

📚 LIBRARY 📚

Utility functions from BSD systems (libbsd, -lbsd)

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <nlist.h>
(See libbsd(7) for include usage.)

int
nlist(const char *filename, struct nlist *nl);

👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

so like, the nlist() function retrieves name list entries from the symbol table of an executable file (peep elf(5) if you wanna know more about that whole situation 💅). the argument nl gets set to reference the beginning of the list, periodt.

and here's the tea: the list is preened of binary and invalid data. so if an entry in the name list is valid, the n_type and n_value for that entry get copied into the list referenced by nl. literally just those two. no other data is copied, bestie, that's the whole vibe. 🙈

and the last entry in the list is always NULL. always. every time. iconic behaviour fr fr. ⭐

🫶 RETURN VALUES 🫶

if it all goes well? you get back the number of invalid entries. slay.

but if the file filename does not exist or is not executable, or the nl pointer is NULL — the returned value is -1. 😭 no cap, that's the deal.

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• elf(5)

🦋 HISTORY 🦋

a nlist() function appeared in Version 6 AT&T UNIX. ancient. legendary. the blueprint. 💜

and that's the whole page babes!! this little beauty comes to you courtesy of Debian, dated April 19, 1994, and it's nlist(3bsd) — go forth and nlist responsibly 🎀✨💖