ELF_GETDATA(3) | Library Functions Manual | ELF_GETDATA(3)

# NAME

`elf_getdata`, `elf_newdata`, `elf_rawdata` —
iterate through or allocate section data

# LIBRARY

ELF Access Library (libelf, -lelf)

# SYNOPSIS

`#include <libelf.h>`

Elf_Data *
`elf_getdata`(Elf_Scn *scn, Elf_Data *data);

Elf_Data *
`elf_newdata`(Elf_Scn *scn);

Elf_Data *
`elf_rawdata`(Elf_Scn *scn, Elf_Data *data);

# DESCRIPTION

These functions are used to access and manipulate data descriptors associated with section descriptors. Data descriptors used by the ELF library are described in elf(3).

Function `elf_getdata`() will return the next data descriptor associated with section descriptor scn. The returned data descriptor will be setup to contain translated data. Argument data may be `NULL`, in which case the function returns the first data descriptor associated with section scn. If argument data is not `NULL`, it must be a pointer to a data descriptor associated with section descriptor scn, and function `elf_getdata`() will return a pointer to the next data descriptor for the section, or `NULL` when the end of the section's descriptor list is reached.

Function `elf_newdata`() will allocate a new data descriptor and append it to the list of data descriptors associated with section descriptor scn. The new data descriptor will be initialized as follows:

d_align
  Set to 1.
d_buf
  Initialized to. `NULL`.
d_off
  Set to (off_t) -1. This field is under application control if the `ELF_F_LAYOUT` flag was set on the ELF descriptor.
d_size
  Set to zero.
d_type
  Initialized to `ELF_T_BYTE`.
d_version
  Set to the current working version of the library, as set by elf_version(3).

The application must set these values as appropriate before calling elf_update(3). Section scn must be associated with an ELF file opened for writing. If the application has not requested full control of layout by setting the `ELF_F_LAYOUT` flag on descriptor elf, then the data referenced by the returned descriptor will be positioned after the existing content of the section, honoring the file alignment specified in member d_align. On successful completion of a call to `elf_newdata`(), the ELF library will mark the section scn as “dirty”.

Function `elf_rawdata`() is used to step through the data descriptors associated with section scn. In contrast to function `elf_getdata`(), this function returns untranslated data. If argument data is `NULL`, the first data descriptor associated with section scn is returned. If argument data is not `NULL`, is must be a data descriptor associated with section scn, and function `elf_rawdata`() will return the next data descriptor in the list, or `NULL` if no further descriptors are present. Function `elf_rawdata`() always returns Elf_Data structures of type `ELF_T_BYTE`.

## Special handling of zero-sized and SHT_NOBITS sections

For sections of type `SHT_NOBITS,` and for zero-sized sections, the functions `elf_getdata`() and `elf_rawdata`() return a pointer to a valid Elf_Data structure that has its d_buf member set to `NULL` and its d_size member set to the size of the section.

If an application wishes to create a section of type `SHT_NOBITS`, it should add a data buffer to the section using function `elf_newdata`(). It should then set the d_buf and d_size members of the returned Elf_Data structure to `NULL` and the desired size of the section respectively.

# RETURN VALUES

These functions return a valid pointer to a data descriptor if successful, or `NULL` if an error occurs.

# ERRORS

These functions may fail with the following errors:

[`ELF_E_ARGUMENT`]
  Either of the arguments scn or data was `NULL`.
[`ELF_E_ARGUMENT`]
  The data descriptor referenced by argument data is not associated with section descriptor scn.
[`ELF_E_ARGUMENT`]
  The section denoted by argument scn had no data associated with it.
[`ELF_E_DATA`]
  Retrieval of data from the underlying object failed.
[`ELF_E_RESOURCE`]
  An out of memory condition was detected.
[`ELF_E_SECTION`]
  Section scn had type `SHT_NULL`.
[`ELF_E_SECTION`]
  The type of the section scn was not recognized by the library.
[`ELF_E_SECTION`]
  The size of the section scn is not a multiple of the file size for its section type.
[`ELF_E_SECTION`]
  The file offset for section scn is incorrect.
[`ELF_E_UNIMPL`]
  The section type associated with section scn is currently unsupported by the library.

# SEE ALSO

elf(3), elf_flagdata(3), elf_flagscn(3), elf_getscn(3), elf_getshdr(3), elf_newscn(3), elf_rawfile(3), elf_update(3), elf_version(3), gelf(3)

January 26, 2011 | NetBSD 9.1