bsearch(3) - NetBSD Manual Pages

BSEARCH(3)              NetBSD Library Functions Manual             BSEARCH(3)


NAME

     bsearch -- binary search of a sorted table


LIBRARY

     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)


SYNOPSIS

     #include <stdlib.h>

     void *
     bsearch(const void *key, const void *base, size_t nmemb, size_t size,
         int (*compar) (const void *, const void *));


DESCRIPTION

     The bsearch() function searches an array of nmemb objects, the initial
     member of which is pointed to by base, for a member that matches the
     object pointed to by key.  The size of each member of the array is speci-
     fied by size.

     The contents of the array should be in ascending sorted order according
     to the comparison function referenced by compar.  The compar routine is
     expected to have two arguments which point to the key object and to an
     array member, in that order, and should return an integer less than,
     equal to, or greater than zero if the key object is found, respectively,
     to be less than, to match, or be greater than the array member.


RETURN VALUES

     The bsearch() function returns a pointer to a matching member of the
     array, or a null pointer if no match is found.  If two members compare as
     equal, which member is matched is unspecified.


SEE ALSO

     db(3), lsearch(3), qsort(3), tsearch(3)


STANDARDS

     The bsearch() function conforms to ANSI X3.159-1989 (``ANSI C89'').

NetBSD 9.2                      April 19, 1994                      NetBSD 9.2