Subject: Re: Problem with getenv("HOME")
From: [email-masked]

29 Oct 1997 14:32:08 -0800
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked], [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked]

>When getenv is called with ("HOME") as argument the return value is a
>string "(null)" instead of a NULL pointer. Is this a "standard" behaviour 
>or a bug?

>Wolfgang Stuerzlinger

>P.S.: This breaks commonly used code sequences like:
>	sprintf(newName,"%s/%s",getenv("HOME"),fileName);

Are you sure that this isn't in sprintf?

It is common for printf-like routines to actually print "(null)" when
a NULL pointer is passed for a %s conversion.  Unfortunately, it is
also a rather common implementation for it to blindly use the NULL
pointer and fault or output garbage :-(

Anyhow, I think that getenv() is in fact returning NULL in this case.

Try this:

	if (getenv("HOME") == NULL)
		printf("NULL pointer returned\n");

Or:
	printf("Return of getenv: 0x%x\n", getenv("HOME"));

marcus hall
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