MKSTR(1)                                                              MKSTR(1)



NAME
       mkstr - create an error message file by massaging C source

SYNOPSIS
       mkstr [ - ] messagefile prefix file ...

DESCRIPTION
       _M_k_s_t_r is used to create files of error messages.  Its use can make pro‐
       grams with large numbers of error diagnostics much smaller, and  reduce
       system  overhead  in  running  the program as the error messages do not
       have to be constantly swapped in and out.

       _M_k_s_t_r will process each of the specified _f_i_l_e_s_, placing a massaged ver‐
       sion  of  the input file in a file whose name consists of the specified
       _p_r_e_f_i_x and the original name.  A typical usage of _m_k_s_t_r would be

            mkstr pistrings xx *.c

       This command would cause all the error messages from the C source files
       in  the  current  directory to be placed in the file _p_i_s_t_r_i_n_g_s and pro‐
       cessed copies of the source for these files to be placed in files whose
       names are prefixed with _x_x_.

       To  process  the error messages in the source to the message file _m_k_s_t_r
       keys on the string ‘error("’ in the input stream.  Each time it occurs,
       the C string starting at the ‘"’ is placed in the message file followed
       by a null character and a new-line character; the null character termi‐
       nates the message so it can be easily used when retrieved, the new-line
       character makes it possible to sensibly _c_a_t the error message  file  to
       see  its contents.  The massaged copy of the input file then contains a
       _l_s_e_e_k pointer into the file which can be used to retrieve the  message,
       i.e.:

              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 _m_k_s_t_red program.

SEE ALSO
       lseek(2), xstr(1)



3rd Berkeley Distribution         May 7, 1986                         MKSTR(1)