Package: manpages-dev
Version: 3.27-1
Severity: wishlist
Tags: upstream
Martin Ferrari wrote[1]:
> I'm using functions defined in arpa/nameser.h, undocumented in libc, but
> explained in chapter 12 of O'Reilly's DNS & BIND (ISBN: 0-596-00158-4).
> I do think that this lack of documentation is also a bug.
He's right --- these functions are useful and a longstanding API, and
it is not very rare to find programs that use them.
They became part of the libresolv ABI in glibc 2.9, which provides us
with a convenient list[2]:
ns_msg_getflag
ns_get16, ns_get32, ns_put16, ns_put32
ns_initparse, ns_skiprr, ns_parserr
ns_sprintrr, ns_sprintrrf
ns_format_ttl, ns_parse_ttl
ns_datetosecs
ns_name_ntol, ns_name_ntop, ns_name_pton
ns_name_unpack, ns_name_pack
ns_name_uncompress, ns_name_compress
ns_name_skip, ns_name_rollback
ns_samedomain, ns_subdomain, ns_makecanon, ns_samename
The code comes from Bind 8.2.2-P5 originally. The BIND documentation
says[3]:
As of this writing, there is no formal "manual" of the
libraries, except this document, header files (some of them
provide pretty detailed explanations), and sample application
programs.
Alas. But we can be trailblazers; filing to coordinate. Pointers to
relevant references (such as mailing list archives or source trees
from the time these functions were invented, which could help document
their rationale) would be especially helpful.
Thanks.
Jonathan
[1] http://bugs.debian.org/291609
[2] from resolv/Versions
[3] http://ftp.isc.org/isc/bind9/cur/9.8/doc/arm/Bv9ARM.ch09.html#id2609111
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