CODEWITHSUNDEEP
csignalssignal-handlingsigaction
Leet1337
Leet1337

Reputation: 1

question about handling signals using signal in C

The program is a server that receives messages from the client by transmitting SIGUSR1 or SIGUSR2 signals and decrypts them using bitwise operations (but this is not important yet). The server shows the PID and then waits for a SIGUSR1 or SIGUSR2 signal.

  1. The question is simple: In main, in case of a signal, the ft_btoa handler function is launched WITHOUT ARGUMENTS. Then how does function "know" that the variable "sig" in the description of the ft_btoa function is a number of signal?
  2. Question - in what cases it is allowed to use signal, but not sigaction?

void    ft_btoa(int sig)
{
    static int  bit;
    static int  i;

    if (sig == SIGUSR1)
        i |= (0x01 << bit);
    bit++;
    if (bit == 8)
    {
        ft_printf("%c", i);
        bit = 0;
        i = 0;
    }
}

int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
    int pid;

    (void)argv;
    if (argc != 1)
    {
        ft_printf("Error\n");
        return (1);
    }
    pid = getpid();
    ft_printf("%d\n", pid);
    while (argc == 1)
    {
        signal(SIGUSR1, ft_btoa);
        signal(SIGUSR2, ft_btoa);
        pause ();
    }
    return (0);
}

I'm trying to understand how it works..

Upvotes: 0

Views: 94

Answers (1)

Yunnosch
Yunnosch

Reputation: 26763

You have a misunderstanding in "In main, in case of a signal, the ft_btoa handler function is launched WITHOUT ARGUMENTS."; it is not.

This signal(SIGUSR1, ft_btoa); is not a call, not to ft_btoa() to be precise.
It is a call to signal() giving the function named ft_btoa as a parameter.
The parameter means "at the appropriate time, call this function and give it the parameter which at that time makes sense".
For this to work, ft_btoa has to match the prototype expected by what is behind signal(), including accepting a parameter which matches what at the time of calling ft_btoa() (not signal()) needs to be carried as a parameter.

The call to ft_btoa(int) happens later and DOES give a parameter.

Judging from your comment, you are aware of the relevant context:

#include <signal.h>
/* you should include the appropriate header,
   which I assume you do, though your shown code does not */


typedef void (*sighandler_t) (int) ;
/* an appropriate sighandler function of type sighandler_t
   should accept a parameter of type int 
   (which will carry the corresponding value
    at the time when the sighandler is called)
   and return nothing */

sighandler_t signal(int signum, sighandler_t handler);
/* calling signal requires
   a signum parameter of type int
   a handler parameter of type sighandler_t, see above
   it will return a sighandler_t, which your shown code ignores
 */

Upvotes: 0

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