LIBSTORAGE(3)

NAME
libstorage - InterNetNews Storage API library routines

SYNOPSIS
#include "storage.h"
BOOL IsToken(const char *text);
char *TokenToText(const TOKEN token);
TOKEN TextToToken(const char *text);
BOOL SMsetup(SMSETUP type, void *value);
BOOL SMinit(void);
TOKEN SMstore(const ARTHANDLE article);
ARTHANDLE *SMretrieve(const TOKEN token, const RETRTYPE amount);
ARTHANDLE *SMnext(const ARTHANDLE *article, const RETRTYPE amount);
void SMfreearticle(ARTHANDLE *article);
BOOL SMcancel(TOKEN token);
BOOL SMprobe(PROBETYPE type, TOKEN *token);
void SMshutdown(void);
int SMerrno;
char *SMerrorstr;
BOOL OVERsetup(OVERSETUP type, void *value);
BOOL OVERinit(void);
BOOL OVERnewinit(void);
BOOL OVERreinit(void);
BOOL OVERreplace(void);
int OVERgetnum(void);
BOOL OVERstore(TOKEN *token, char *overdata, int overlen);
char *OVERretrieve(TOKEN *token, int *overlen);
BOOL OVERcancel(TOKEN *token);
void OVERshutdown(void);

DESCRIPTION
Libstorage is a library of common utility (the storage manager) routines for accessing Usenet articles and related data independent of particular storage method, and this is called storage api. The storage manager's function is to isolate the applications from the individual methods and make the policy decisions as to which storage method should be called to store an article.

One of the core concepts in the storage api is that articles are not manipulated using the message-id or article number, but rather a token that uniquely identifies the article to the method that stored it. This may seem to be redundant since the message-id already is a unique identifier for the article, however, since the storage method generates the token, it can encode all the information it needs to locate the article in the token.

Unified overview is a new method to access overview database. With this method, all overview database are stored in a pre-configured overview database files. It is different from traditional overview database storage with which overview database is stored in each newsgroup directory. Instead, overview index which indicates article number and Message-ID hash is stored in each newsgroup directory. If storage api is used, you should set up unified overview which is configured by overview.ctl(5) if the server runs nnrpd(8).

All articles passed through storage api are assumed to be wire formatted. Wire formatted means that ``\CR\LF'' at the end of lines, ``.'' at the beginnig of lines and ``.\CR\LF'' at the end of article on nntp stream are not stripped. This has performance win when transferring articles.

IsToken checks to see if the text is formatted as a text token string. It returns TRUE if formatted correctly or returns FALSE if not.

TokenToText converts token into text token string.

TextToToken converts text into token.

SMsetup configures some parameters for use by storage manager. Type is one of following.

SM_RDWR	allow read/write open for storage
	files(default is FALSE)
SM_PREOPEN	open all storage files at startup
	time and keep them(default is FALSE)

The value is the pointer which tells each type's value. It returns TRUE if setup is successful or returns FALSE if not.

SMinit calls the setup function for all of the configured methods based on SMsetup. This function should be called prior to all other storage api functions which begin with ``SM'' except SMsetup. It returns TRUE if initialization is successful or returns FALSE if not. SMinit returns TRUE, unless all storage methods fail initialization.

SMstore stores an article specified with article. If arrived is specified, SMstore use its value as article's arrival time or SMstore use current time for it. SMstore returns token type as type, or returns TOKEN_EMPTY if article is not stored whichever error occures or simply does not match wildmat(3) in storage.ctl(5). SMstore fails if SM_RDWR is not set to true with SMsetup.

SMretrieve retrieves an article specified with token. Amount is the one of following which specifies retrieving type.

RETR_ALL	retrieve whole article
RETR_HEAD	retrieve headers of article
RETR_BODY	retrieve body of article
RETR_STAT	just check to see if article exists

The data area indicated by ARTHANDLE should not be modified.

SMnext is similar in function to SMretrieve except that it is intended for traversing the method's article store sequentially. To start a query, SMnext should be called with a NULL pointer ARTHANDLE. Then SMnext returns ARTHANDLE which should be used for the next query. If NULL pointer ARTHANDLE is returned, no article is left to be queried. If data of ARTHANDLE is NULL pointer or len of ARTHANDLE is 0, it indicates the article may be corrupted and should be cancelled by SMcancel. The data area indicated by ARTHANDLE should not be modified.

SMfreearticle frees all allocated memory used by SMretrieve and SMnext. If SMnext will be called with previously returned ARTHANDLE, SMfreearticle should not be called as SMnext frees allocated memory in itself.

SMcancel removes an article specified with token. It returns TRUE if cancellation is successful or returns FALSE if not. SMcancel fails if SM_RDWR is not set to true with SMsetup.

SMprobe checks the token on PROBETYPE. Currently, only SELFEXPIRE is supported and this can be used to see if the method of the token has self expire functionality.

SMshutdown calls the shutdown for each configured storage method and then free any resources it has allocated for itself.

SMerrno and SMerrorstr indicates the reason of the last error concerning storage manager.

OVERsetup configures some parameters for use by OVERinit. Type is one of following.

OVER_CTL	specify overview.ctl file name
OVER_DIR	specify unified overview directory
OVER_NEWDIR	specify new unified overview directory
OVER_MODE	specify unified overview open mode
OVER_NEWMODE	specify new unified overview open mode
OVER_MMAP	mmap unified overview

The value is the pointer which tells each type's value. Open mode is equivalent value to fopen(3)'s mode. It returns TRUE if setup is successful or returns FALSE if not.

OVERinit calls the setup function and opens configured overview file based on OVERsetup. This function should be called prior to all other unified overview functions which begin with ``OVER'' except OVERsetup. It returns TRUE if initialization is successful or returns FALSE if not.

OVERnewinit calls the setup function and opens configured new overview file based on OVERsetup. If OVERnewinit is called, then OVERstore stores overview database into new overview file not into current overview file which is opened by OVERinit. This function is intended to be used unified overview expiry together with OVERreinit and OVERreplace. It returns TRUE if initialization is successful or returns FALSE if not.

OVERreinit reinitialize current overview file. This is intended to read rest of overview file when expire(8) reaches end of history and pauses innd(8). It returns TRUE if re initialization is successful or returns FALSE if not.

OVERreplace replaces current overview file with new one. It returns TRUE if replace is successful or returns FALSE if not.

OVERgetnum tells the number of file descriptor which is opened as unified overview file. It just tells current overview file, and does not include new overview file. It returns the number if initialization is done or returns ``-1'' if not.

OVERstore stores overview data into configured unified overview file. Index and offset is written into token. It returns TRUE if the store is successful or returns FALSE if not.

OVERretrieve retrieves overview data which is indicated by token. It returns the pointer if the retrieval is successful and overlen is set or returns NULL if not.

OVERcancel marks token's overview data is canceled. It returns TRUE if cancellation is successful or returns FALSE if not.

OVERshutdown calls the shutdown for each configured unified overview then free any resources it has allocated for itself.

HISTORY
Written by Katsuhiro Kondou <kondou@nec.co.jp> for InterNetNews.

SEE ALSO
expire(8), inn.conf(5), overview.ctl(5), storage.ctl(5).