Tcl_Backslash(3tcl)

✨ Tcl_Backslash — it's giving "parse a backslash sequence" ✨

okay bestie, this is the Tcl_Backslash page from the Tcl Library Procedures manual, and we're gonna get you fluent in it, no cap 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <tcl.h>

char
Tcl_Backslash(src, countPtr)

🎀 ARGUMENTS 🎀

• const char *src (in) — a pointer to a string that starts with a backslash. like, the backslash has to be first, that's the whole vibe.
• int *countPtr (out) — if countPtr is not NULL, then *countPtr gets filled in with the number of characters in the backslash sequence, including the backslash character itself. so yes, the backslash counts. it's part of the squad. 🫶

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

⚠️ okay first things first, because this matters: the use of Tcl_Backslash is deprecated in favor of Tcl_UtfBackslash. she's an icon but she's retired, bestie. use the newer one for new stuff. 😭

This is a utility procedure, and the whole reason it exists is backwards compatibility with non-internationalized Tcl extensions. it's basically the older sister holding the door open for legacy code.

What she does: she parses a backslash sequence and returns the low byte of the Unicode character corresponding to that sequence. that's the return value, that's what you get. 🦋

And as a lil side quest, Tcl_Backslash modifies *countPtr so it contains the number of characters in the backslash sequence.

Now, which backslash sequences are actually valid? Go check the Tcl manual entry for that, because that's where the full tea is. And the good news: all of the sequences described in the Tcl manual entry are supported by Tcl_Backslash. every single one. periodt. ✨

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• Tcl(3tcl)
• Tcl_UtfBackslash(3tcl)

👑 KEYWORDS 👑

• backslash
• parse

and that's the whole page, bestie, you ate it up 💅 this was the Tcl 8.1 era of the Tcl_Backslash(3tcl) page — sending you love from the group chat, mwah 🎀💖