MKSTR(1,C) AIX Commands Reference MKSTR(1,C) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- mkstr PURPOSE Creates files of error messages. SYNTAX +-----+ mkstr ---| |--- messagefile --- prefix --- file ---| +- - -+ ^ | +--------+ Note: This command does not have MBCS support. DESCRIPTION The mkstr command is used to create files of error messages. It can make programs with large numbers of error diagnostics smaller and reduce system overhead since the error messages do not have to be swapped constantly. The mkstr command processes each specified file, placing a messaged version of the input file in a file whose name consists of the specified prefix and the original name. A typical usage of the mkstr command would be: mkstr pistrings xx *.c This example causes all error messages from the C source files in the current directory to be placed in the file pistrings and processed copies of the source for these files to be placed in files whose names are prefixed with "xx". To process the error messages in the source to the message file, the mkstr command keys on the string "%'error("'" in the input stream. Each time the string occurs, the C string starting at "'"'" is placed in the message file, followed by a null character and a new-line character. The null character terminates the message so it can be used easily when retrieved. The new-line character makes it possible to use the cat command to display the contents of the error message file. The messaged copy of the input file then contains an lseek pointer into the file, which can be used to retrieve the message. For example: Processed November 8, 1990 MKSTR(1,C) 1 MKSTR(1,C) AIX Commands Reference MKSTR(1,C) char efilname[] = "/usr/lib/pi_strings" int efil = -1; error(a1, a2, a3, a4) { char buf[256]; if (efil < 0) { efil = open(efilname, 0); if (efil < 0) { oops: perror(efilname); exit(1); } } if (lseek(efil, (long) a1, 0) || read(efil, buf, 256) <= 0) goto oops; printf(buf, a2, a3, a4); } The optional - causes the error messages to be placed at the end of the specified message file for recompiling part of a large mkstr program. RELATED INFORMATION See the following command: "xstr." Processed November 8, 1990 MKSTR(1,C) 2