mtext_deserialize(3m17n)

💖 mtext_deserialize — the m17n library's lil XML-to-properties glow-up 💖

okay bestie, so this is mtext_deserialize, and it lives in the m17n manual (section 3m17n, for the record). she's a text-property rehydrator. let's get into it 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

mtext_deserialize — no cap, that's the whole name, the original literally just says mtext_deserialize - and honestly? iconic minimalism. 💅

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

MText* mtext_deserialize (MText * mt)

one function, one argument, one MText* coming back at ya. clean. 🎀

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

@brief Deserialize text properties in an M-text.

so the mtext_deserialize() function deserializes M-text mt. and like, mt is not just any vibe — she must be an XML having the following DTD. not "should", not "ideally", must. the DTD is the dress code and she will not be let in without it:

<!DOCTYPE mtext [
  <!ELEMENT mtext (property*,body+)>
  <!ELEMENT property EMPTY>
  <!ELEMENT body (#PCDATA)>
  <!ATTLIST property key CDATA #REQUIRED>
  <!ATTLIST property value CDATA #REQUIRED>
  <!ATTLIST property from CDATA #REQUIRED>
  <!ATTLIST property to CDATA #REQUIRED>
  <!ATTLIST property control CDATA #REQUIRED>
 ]>

look at all those #REQUIREDs. every single attribute is required, no skipping, no "I'll fill it in later", no half-finished homework energy. 😭

⚠️ also important: this function depends on the libxml2 library. if the m17n library is configured without libxml2, this function always fail. not sometimes. not "depends on your mood". always. so if you're getting nothing but L's from this function, go check your build config first, fr fr. 💀

💜 Return value:

if the operation was successful, mtext_deserialize() returns the resulting M-text. she's thriving, she's gorgeous, she slayed. ✨

otherwise it returns NULL and assigns an error code to the external variable #merror_code. so when you see NULL, go read #merror_code — that's where the actual tea is. 🔥

💜 See Also:

• mtext_serialize() — the reverse glow-up, the one that writes the XML in the first place
• #Mtext_prop_deserializer — the property-deserializing legend herself

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👑 COPYRIGHT 👑

Copyright (C) 2001 Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA)

Copyright (C) 2001-2011 National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/fdl.html>.

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! 🌈 this was Version 1.8.4, dated Mon Sep 25 2023 — a lil vintage, a lil timeless, lowkey a classic. mwah, go forth and deserialize responsibly 💖🦋🌸✨