lfmt(3C)
NAME
lfmt - display error message in standard format and pass to
logging and monitoring services
SYNOPSIS
#include <pfmt.h>
int lfmt(FILE *stream, long flags, char *format, ... /*
arg*/);
DESCRIPTION
The lfmt() function retrieves a format string from a
locale-specific message database (unless MM_NOGET is speci-
fied) and uses it for printf(3C) style formatting of args.
The output is displayed on stream. If stream is NULL no
output is displayed.
The lfmt() function encapsulates the output in the standard
error message format (unless MM_NOSTD is specified, in
which case the output is like that of printf(). It forwards
its output to the logging and monitoring facility, even if
stream is NULL. Optionally, lfmt() displays the output on
the console with a date and time stamp.
If the printf() format string is to be retrieved from a mes-
sage database, the format argument must have the following
structure:
<catalog>:<msgnum>:<defmsg>.
If MM_NOGET is specified, only the <defmsg> field must be
specified.
The <catalog> field indicates the message database that con-
tains the localized version of the format string. This field
is limited to 14 characters selected from a set of all char-
acters values, excluding the null character (\0) and the
ASCII codes for slash (/) and colon (:).
The <msgnum> field is a positive number that indicates the
index of the string into the message database.
If the catalog does not exist in the locale (specified by
the last call to setlocale(3C) using the LC_ALL or
LC_MESSAGES categories), or if the message number is out of
bound, lfmt() will attempt to retrieve the message from the
C locale. If this second retrieval fails, lfmt() uses the
<defmsg> field of the format argument.
If <catalog> is omitted, lfmt() will attempt to retrieve the
string from the default catalog specified by the last call
to setcat(3C). In this case, the format argument has the
following structure:
:<msgnum>:<defmsg>.
The lfmt() function will output the message
Message not found!!\n
as the format string if <catalog> is not a valid catalog
name, if no catalog is specified (either explicitly or with
setcat()), if <msgnum> is not a valid number, or if no mes-
sage could be retrieved from the message databases and
<defmsg> was omitted.
The flags argument determines the type of output (whether
the format should be interpreted as it is or be encapsulated
in the standard message format) and the access to message
catalogs to retrieve a localized version of format.
The flags argument is composed of several groups, and can
take the following values (one from each group):
Output format control
MM_NOSTD
Do not use the standard message format but
interpret format as a printf() format. Only
catalog access control flags, console display
control and logging information should be speci-
fied if MM_NOSTD is used; all other flags will
be ignored.
MM_STD
Output using the standard message format
(default value is 0).
Catalog access control
MM_NOGET
Do not retrieve a localized version of format.
In this case, only the <defmsg> field of format
is specified.
MM_GET
Retrieve a localized version of format from
<catalog>, using <msgid> as the index and
<defmsg> as the default message (default value
is 0).
Severity (standard message format only)
MM_HALT
Generate a localized version of HALT, but donot halt
the machine.
MM_ERROR
Generate a localized version of ERROR (default value
is 0).
MM_WARNING
Generate a localized version of WARNING.
MM_INFO
Generate a localized version of INFO.
Additional severities can be defined with the addsev(3C)
function, using number-string pairs with numeric values in
the range [5-255]. The specified severity is formed by the
bitwise OR operation of the numeric value and other flags
arguments.
If the severity is not defined, lfmt() uses the string
SEV=N where N is the integer severity value passed in flags.
Multiple severities passed in flags will not be detected as
an error. Any combination of severities will be summed and
the numeric value will cause the display of either a sever-
ity string (if defined) or the string SEV=N (if undefined).
Action
MM_ACTION
Specify an action message. Any severity value is
superseded and replaced by a localized version
of TO FIX.
Console display control
MM_CONSOLE
Display the message to the console in addition
to the specified stream.
MM_NOCONSOLE
Do not display the message to the console in
addition to the specified stream (default value
is 0).
Logging information
Major classification
Identify the source of the condition. Identif-
iers are: MM_HARD (hardware), MM_SOFT
(software), and MM_FIRM (firmware).
Message source subclassification
Identify the type of software in which the prob-
lem is spotted. Identifiers are: MM_APPL (appli-
cation), MM_UTIL (utility), and MM_OPSYS
(operating system).
STANDARD ERROR MESSAGE FORMAT
The lfmt() function displays error messages in the following
format:
label: severity: text
If no label was defined by a call to setlabel(3C), the mes-
sage is displayed in the format:
severity: text
If lfmt() is called twice to display an error message and a
helpful action or recovery message, the output may appear as
follows:
label: severity: text
label: TO FIX: text
RETURN VALUES
Upon successful completion, lfmt() returns the number of
bytes transmitted. Otherwise, it returns a negative value:
-1 Write the error to stream.
-2 Cannot log and/or display at console.
USAGE
Since lfmt() uses gettxt(3C), it is recommended that lfmt()
not be used.
EXAMPLES
Example 1: The following example
setlabel("UX:test");
lfmt(stderr, MM_ERROR|MM_CONSOLE|MM_SOFT|MM_UTIL,
"test:2:Cannot open file: %s\n", strerror(errno));
displays the message to stderr and to the console and makes
it available for logging:
UX:test: ERROR: Cannot open file: No such file or directory
Example 2: The following example
setlabel("UX:test");
lfmt(stderr, MM_INFO|MM_SOFT|MM_UTIL,
"test:23:test facility is enabled\n");
displays the message to stderr and makes it available for
logging:
UX:test: INFO: test facility enabled
ATTRIBUTES
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attri-
butes:
____________________________________________________________
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
|_____________________________|_____________________________|
| MT-Level | MT-Safe |
|_____________________________|_____________________________|
SEE ALSO
addsev(3C), gettxt(3C), pfmt(3C), printf(3C), setcat(3C),
setlabel(3C), setlocale(3C), attributes(5), environ(5)
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