.ds Vv 1.2.14
.TH VistaIOEncodeAttrValue 3 "24 April 1993" "VistaIO Version \*(Vv"
.SH NAME
VistaIOEncodeAttrValue \- encode an attribute value
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
.ft B
VistaIOStringConst VistaIOEncodeAttrValue (\fIdict\fP, \fIrepn\fP, \fIvalue\fP)
.RS
VistaIODictEntry *\fIdict\fP;
VistaIORepnKind \fIrepn\fP;
\fItype value\fP;
.RE
.PP
.fi
where \fItype\fP, according to \fIrepn\fP, is \fBVistaIOBit\fP, \fBVistaIOUByte\fP, 
\fBVistaIOSByte\fP, \fBVistaIOShort\fP, \fBVistaIOLong\fP, \fBVistaIOFloat\fP, \fBVistaIODouble\fP, 
\fBVistaIOBoolean\fP, or \fBVistaIOString\fP. 
.SH ARGUMENTS
.IP \fIdict\fP 10n
May specify a dictionary to be used in translating the value supplied
to a keyword that should be returned as the encoded value, or it may be
.SB NULL\c
.
.IP \fIrepn\fP
Specifies the representation of the value to be encoded.
.IP \fIvalue\fP
Specifies the value to be encoded.
.SH DESCRIPTION
\fBVistaIOEncodeAttrValue\fP takes a value and an optional dictionary, and 
encodes the value as a character string suitable for storage in an 
attribute list or output to a data file.
.PP
With the \fIdict\fP argument you can provide a dictionary for mapping 
\fIvalue\fP to a keyword that will be returned as the encoded value (see 
\fBVistaIOdictionary\fP(3)). For example, if you pass a value of 1 and a 
dictionary that associates the value 1 with the keyword \fBubyte\fP (as the 
dictionary\fBVistaIORepnDict\fP does), then the string \fBubyte\fP will be 
returned. Dictionaries may be used to map both numeric values and strings 
to keywords. If you supply a dictionary but \fIvalue\fP is not mentioned in 
that dictionary, then \fIvalue\fP itself will be encoded as a string and
returned.
.SH "RETURN VALUES"
If successful, \fBVistaIOEncodeAttrValue\fP returns a string that is valid until 
the next \fBVistaIOEncodeAttrValue\fP, \fBVistaIOSetAttr\fP, or \fBVistaIOSetAttrValue\fP 
call. If, on the other hand, it fails because \fIrepn\fP is not one of the 
representations supported, it returns 
.SB NULL\c
.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.na
.nh
.BR VistaIODecodeAttrValue (3),
.BR VistaIOSetAttr (3),
.BR VistaIOattribute (3),

.ad
.hy
.SH DIAGNOSTICS
.IP "``Can't encode from \fIrepn\fP.''"
The \fIrepn\fP argument is not one of \fBVistaIOBitRepn\fP, \fBVistaIOUByteRepn\fP, ...,
\fBVistaIOBooleanRepn\fP, or \fBVistaIOStringRepn\fP. 
.SH AUTHOR
Art Pope <pope@cs.ubc.ca>

Adaption to vistaio: Gert Wollny <gw.fossdev@gmail.com>