elf_hash(ELF)

elf_hash -- compute hash value

Synopsis

   cc [flag . . . ] file . . . -lelf [library] . . .
   
   #include <libelf.h>
   

   unsigned long elf_hash(const char name);

Description

elf_hash computes a hash value, given a null terminated string, name. The returned hash value, h, can be used as a bucket index, typically after computing h mod x to ensure appropriate bounds.

Hash tables may be built on one machine and used on another because elf_hash uses unsigned arithmetic to avoid possible differences in various machines' signed arithmetic. Although name is shown as char above, elf_hash treats it as unsigned char to avoid sign extension differences. Using char eliminates type conflicts with expressions such as elf_hash("name").

ELF files' symbol hash tables are computed using this function [see elf_getdata(ELF) and elf_xlate(ELF)]. The hash value returned is guaranteed not to be the bit pattern of all ones (~0UL).

References

Intro(ELF), elf_getdata(ELF), elf_xlate(ELF)