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COMPILE_ET(1)	       DragonFly General Commands Manual	 COMPILE_ET(1)

NAME
     compile_et -- error table compiler

SYNOPSIS
     compile_et file

DESCRIPTION
     Compile_et converts a table listing error-code names and associated mes-
     sages into a C source file suitable for use with the com_err(3) library.

     The source file name must end with a suffix of ``.et''; the file consists
     of a declaration supplying the name (up to four characters long) of the
     error-code table:

     error_table name

     followed by up to 256 entries of the form:

     error_code name, "string"

     and a final

     end

     to indicate the end of the table.

     The name of the table is used to construct the name of a subroutine
     initialize_XXXX_error_table which must be called in order for the
     com_err(3) library to recognize the error table.

     The various error codes defined are assigned sequentially increasing num-
     bers (starting with a large number computed as a hash function of the
     name of the table); thus for compatibility it is suggested that new codes
     be added only to the end of an existing table, and that no codes be
     removed from tables.

     The names defined in the table are placed into a C header file with pre-
     processor directives defining them as integer constants of up to 32 bits
     in magnitude.

     A C source file is also generated which should be compiled and linked
     with the object files which reference these error codes; it contains the
     text of the messages and the initialization subroutine.  Both C files
     have names derived from that of the original source file, with the
     ``.et'' suffix replaced by ``.c'' and ``.h''.

     A ``#'' in the source file is treated as a comment character, and all
     remaining text to the end of the source line will be ignored.

BUGS
     Since compile_et uses a very simple parser based on yacc(1), its error
     recovery leaves much to be desired.

SEE ALSO
     yacc(1), com_err(3)

     Ken Raeburn, A Common Error Description Library for UNIX.

DragonFly 4.3		       November 22, 1988		 DragonFly 4.3