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Diffstat (limited to 'manual/search.texi')
| -rw-r--r-- | manual/search.texi | 18 |
1 files changed, 9 insertions, 9 deletions
diff --git a/manual/search.texi b/manual/search.texi index eb6786d188..fdc4a7ee1c 100644 --- a/manual/search.texi +++ b/manual/search.texi @@ -330,20 +330,20 @@ this element might stay undefined since it is not used. To search in a hashing table created using @code{hcreate} the @code{hsearch} function must be used. This function can perform simple search for an element (if @var{action} has the @code{FIND}) or it can -alternatively insert the key element into the hashing table, possibly -replacing a previous value (if @var{action} is @code{ENTER}). +alternatively insert the key element into the hashing table. Entries +are never replaced. The key is denoted by a pointer to an object of type @code{ENTRY}. For locating the corresponding position in the hashing table only the @code{key} element of the structure is used. -The return value depends on the @var{action} parameter value. If it is -@code{FIND} the value is a pointer to the matching element in the -hashing table or @code{NULL} if no matching element exists. If -@var{action} is @code{ENTER} the return value is only @code{NULL} if the -programs runs out of memory while adding the new element to the table. -Otherwise the return value is a pointer to the element in the hashing -table which contains newly added element based on the data in @var{key}. +If an entry with matching key is found the @var{action} parameter is +irrelevant. The found entry is returned. If no matching entry is found +and the @var{action} parameter has the value @code{FIND} the function +returns a @code{NULL} pointer. If no entry is found and the +@var{action} parameter has the value @code{ENTER} a new entry is added +to the hashing table which is initialized with the parameter @var{item}. +A pointer to the newly added entry is returned. @end deftypefun As mentioned before the hashing table used by the functions described so |