LSEARCH(3) UNIX Programmer’s Manual LSEARCH(3)

NAME
lsearch, lfind, - linear searching routines

SYNOPSIS
char *
lsearch(const void *key, const void *base, size_t *nelp, size_t width,
int (*compar)(void *, void *))

char *
lfind(const void *key, const void *base, size_t *nelp, size_t width,
int (*compar)(void *, void *))

DESCRIPTION
This interface was obsolete before it was written. It is available from
the compatibility library, libcompat.

The functions lsearch(), and lfind() provide basic linear searching func-
tionality.

Base is the pointer to the beginning of an array. The argument nelp is
the current number of elements in the array, where each element is width
bytes long. The compar function is a comparison routine which is used to
compare two elements. It takes two arguments which point to the key ob-
ject and to an array member, in that order, and must return an integer
less than, equivalent to, or greater than zero if the key object is con-
sidered, respectively, to be less than, equal to, or greater than the ar-
ray member.

The lsearch() and lfind() functions return a pointer into the array ref-
erenced by base where key is located. If key does not exist, lfind()
will return a null pointer and lsearch() will add it to the array. When
an element is added to the array by lsearch() the location referenced by
the argument nelp is incremented by one.