NAME

       pmdaText - extract metric help text for a PMDA


C SYNOPSIS

       #include <pcp/pmapi.h>
       #include <pcp/impl.h>
       #include <pcp/pmda.h>

       int  pmdaText(int  ident, int type, char **buffer, pmdaExt
       *pmda);

       cc ... -lpcp_pmda -lpcp


DESCRIPTION

       As part of the Performance Metrics Domain Agent (PMDA) API
       (see  PMDA(3)),  pmdaText  uses  the standard PMDA(3) data
       structures to return the help text  for  metric  ident  in
       buffer.   The help text must be located in help text files
       created with newhelp(1),  and  the  associated  files  are
       automatically opened by pmdaInit(3).

       The  path  to the (basename of the) help text files can be
       set in the calls to pmdaDSO(3) or pmdaDaemon(3) and  over­
       ridden by the -h command line option in pmdaGetOpt(3).

       The  encoding  of  ident  follows the internal scheme used
       below  the  routines  pmLookupText(3)  and  pmLookupInDom­
       Text(3),  namely  ident encodes either a metric identifier
       or an instance domain identifier, according to  the  value
       of type.

       The type argument is a bit mask that encodes the interpre­
       tation of ident and the requested form of  help  text,  as
       follows:  either PM_TEXT_PMID if ident is a metric identi­
       fier, or PM_TEXT_INDOM if  ident  is  an  instance  domain
       identifier,  plus  either PM_TEXT_ONELINE for the one line
       help text or PM_TEXT_HELP for the full help text.

       The buffer is allocated  using  malloc(3)  and  should  be
       released by the caller of pmdaText with a call to free(3).


DIAGNOSTICS

       If the requested help text could not be obtained, pmdaText
       will return PM_ERR_TEXT.


CAVEAT

       The PMDA must be using PMDA_PROTOCOL_2 or later, as speci­
       fied in the call to pmdaDSO(3) or pmdaDaemon(3).


SEE ALSO

       newhelp(1), malloc(3), PMAPI(3),  PMDA(3),  pmdaDaemon(3),
       pmdaDSO(3),    pmdaInit(3),    pmLookupInDomText(3)    and



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