.TH UPSCLI_LIST_START 3 "Mon Jan 22 2007" "" "Network UPS Tools (NUT)"
.SH NAME
upscli_list_start \- begin multi\(hyitem retrieval from a UPS
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
.B #include <upsclient.h>
.sp
.BI "int upscli_list_start(UPSCONN *ups, int numq, const char **query)"
.fi
.SH DESCRIPTION
The \fBupscli_list_start()\fP function takes the pointer \fIups\fP to a
UPSCONN state structure, and the pointer \fIquery\fP to an array of
\fInumq\fP query elements.  It builds a properly\(hyformatted request from
those elements and transmits it to \fBupsd\fP(8).
.PP
Upon success, the caller must call \fBupscli_list_next\fP(3) to retrieve
the elements of the list.  Failure to retrieve the list will most likely
result in the client getting out of sync with the server due to buffered
data.
.PP
.SH "USES"
This function implements the "LIST" command in the protocol.  As a
result, you can use it to request many different things from the server.
Some examples are:
.PP
 \(hy LIST UPS
 \(hy LIST VAR <ups>
 \(hy LIST RW <ups>
 \(hy LIST CMD <ups>
 \(hy LIST ENUM <ups> <var>

.SH QUERY FORMATTING
To see the list of variables on a UPS called su700, the protocol command
would be "LIST VAR su700".  To start that list with this function, you
would populate query and numq as follows:
.PP
.nf
	int numq;
	const char *query[2];

	query[0] = "VAR";
	query[1] = "su700";
	numq = 2;
.fi
.PP
All escaping of special characters and quoting of elements with spaces
is handled for you inside this function.
.PP
.SH "ERROR CHECKING"
This function checks the response from \fBupsd\fP against your query.
If it is not starting a list, or is starting the wrong type of list, it
will return an error code.
.PP
When this happens, \fBupscli_upserror\fP(3) will return
\fIUPSCLI_ERR_PROTOCOL\fP.
.PP
.SH "RETURN VALUE"
The \fBupscli_list_start()\fP function returns 0 on success, or \-1 if an
error occurs.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR upscli_fd "(3), "upscli_get "(3), "
.BR upscli_readline "(3), "upscli_sendline "(3), "
.BR upscli_ssl "(3), "
.BR upscli_strerror "(3), "upscli_upserror "(3) "