.\" $Id: libssh2_sftp_symlink_ex.3,v 1.1 2007/06/14 16:33:38 jehousley Exp $
.\"
.TH libssh2_sftp_symlink_ex 3 "1 Jun 2007" "libssh2 0.15" "libssh2 manual"
.SH NAME
libssh2_sftp_symlink_ex - read or set a symbolic link
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
#include <libssh2.h>
#include <libssh2_sftp.h>

int 
libssh2_sftp_symlink_ex(LIBSSH2_SFTP *sftp, const char *path,
                        unsigned int path_len, char *target,
                        unsigned int target_len, int link_type);

int 
libssh2_sftp_symlink(LIBSSH2_SFTP *sftp, const char *path, char *target);

int 
libssh2_sftp_readlink(LIBSSH2_SFTP *sftp, const char *path, char *target,
                      unsigned int target_len);

int 
libssh2_sftp_realpath(LIBSSH2_SFTP *sftp, const char *path, char *target,
                      unsigned int target_len);
.SH DESCRIPTION
Create a symlink or read out symlink information from the remote side.

\fIsftp\fP - SFTP instance as returned by 
.BR libssh2_sftp_init(3)

\fIpath\fP - Remote filesystem object to create a symlink from or resolve.

\fIpath_len\fP - Length of the name of the remote filesystem object to 
create a symlink from or resolve.

\fItarget\fP - a pointer to a buffer. The buffer has different uses depending
what the \fIlink_type\fP argument is set to.
.br
\fBLIBSSH2_SFTP_SYMLINK\fP: Remote filesystem object to link to.
.br
\fBLIBSSH2_SFTP_READLINK\fP: Pre-allocated buffer to resolve symlink target
into.
.br
\fBLIBSSH2_SFTP_REALPATH\fP: Pre-allocated buffer to resolve realpath target
into.

\fItarget_len\fP - Length of the name of the remote filesystem target object.

\fIlink_type\fP - One of the three previously mentioned constants which 
determines the resulting behavior of this function.

These are convenience macros:

.BR libssh2_sftp_symlink(3)
: Create a symbolic link between two filesystem objects.
.br
.BR libssh2_sftp_readlink(3)
: Resolve a symbolic link filesystem object to its next target.
.br
.BR libssh2_sftp_realpath(3)
: Resolve a complex, relative, or symlinked filepath to its effective target.
.SH RETURN VALUE
When using LIBSSH2_SFTP_SYMLINK, this funtion returns 0 on success or negative
on failure.

When using LIBSSH2_SFTP_READLINK or LIBSSH2_SFTP_REALPATH, it returns the
number of bytes it copied to the target buffer (not including the terminating
zero) or negative on failure.

It returns LIBSSH2_ERROR_EAGAIN when it would otherwise block. While
LIBSSH2_ERROR_EAGAIN is a negative number, it isn't really a failure per se.
.SH ERRORS
\fILIBSSH2_ERROR_ALLOC\fP -  An internal memory allocation call failed.

\fILIBSSH2_ERROR_SOCKET_SEND\fP - Unable to send data on socket.

\fILIBSSH2_ERROR_SOCKET_TIMEOUT\fP - 

\fILIBSSH2_ERROR_SFTP_PROTOCOL\fP - An invalid SFTP protocol response was 
received on the socket, or an SFTP operation caused an errorcode to 
be returned by the server.

.SH SEE ALSO
.BR libssh2_sftp_init(3)