CATGETS(3)                                             CATGETS(3)

NAME
       catgets - get message from a message catalog

SYNOPSIS
       #include <nl_types.h>

       char  *catgets(nl_catd  catalog,  int set_number, int mes-
       sage_number, const char *message);

DESCRIPTION
       catgets()  reads  the  message  message_number,   in   set
       set_number,  from  the message catalog identified by cata-
       log, where catalog is a catalog descriptor  returned  from
       an  earlier  call to catopen(3).  The fourth argument mes-
       sage points to a default  message  string  which  will  be
       returned by catgets() if the identified message catalog is
       not currently available. The message-text is contained  in
       an internal buffer area and should be copied by the appli-
       cation if it is to be saved or modified. The return string
       is always terminated with a null byte.

RETURN VALUES
       On  success,  catgets()  returns  a pointer to an internal
       buffer area containing the null-terminated message string.
       On failure, catgets() returns the value message.

NOTES
       These  functions  are only available in libc.so.4.4.4c and
       above.  The Jan 1987 X/Open Portability Guide specifies  a
       more  subtle error return: message is returned if the mes-
       sage catalog specified by catalog is not available,  while
       an  empty  string  is returned when the message catalog is
       available but does  not  contain  the  specified  message.
       These  two  possible error returns seem to be discarded in
       XPG4.2 in favour of always returning message.

CONFORMING TO
       XPG4.2

SEE ALSO
       catopen(3), setlocale(3)

                          9 August 1998                         1