Creates a new BQuery object. To use the object, you have to set its predicate and volume, and then tell it to Fetch(). If you want to fetch again, you have to call Clear() first (and re-set the predicate and volume.)

Destroys the BQuery. If the query is live, the query is shot dead. You stop receiving live query updates when you delete the BQuery object.

Erases the BQuery's predicate, sets the volume and target to NULL, and turns off live query updates (if the query is live). You call Clear() if you want to Fetch() more than once: You have to Clear() before each Fetch() (except the first).

Clear() always return B_OK.

Tells the BQuery to go fetch the entries that satisfy the predicate. After you've fetched, you can retrieve the set of "static" entries through calls to GetNextEntry(), GetNextRef(), or GetNextDirents().

If you've set the BQuery's target, then this query is live. The live query update messages start rolling in when you tell the object to Fetch(). They stop when you Clear() or destroy the object.

The fetch fails if the object's predicate or volume isn't set, or if you've already fetched but haven' Clear()'d since then.

Warning

Every query must include at least one indexed attribute. If your predicate includes no indexed attributes, Fetch() will not balk—it returns B_OK (given that it doesn't otherwise fail). However, no entries will have been retrieved, and your subsequent GetNext…() call will fail (B_BAD_VALUE).

These functions return the next entry in the "static" entry list; the list is created when you tell your (well-formed) BQuery to Fetch(). You can retrieve the entry as a BEntry, entry_ref, or dirent structure. The static entry list is the set of entries that initially satisfy the predicate; entries found by the live query mechanism are not included in this list.

When you reach the end of the entry list, the Get…() function returns an indicative value:

• GetNextRef() and GetNextEntry() return B_ENTRY_NOT_FOUND.

• GetNextDirents() returns 0.

You can only cycle over the list once; the Rewind() function is not defined for BQuery. See the BEntryList class for more information on these functions.

GetNextDirents() returns the number of dirents it retrieved (currently, it can only retrieve one at a time. The other two functions return these codes:

You use these functions to construct the BQuery's predicate. They create a predicate expression by pushing attribute names, operators, and values in Reverse Polish Notation (post-fix) order.

• PushAttr() pushes an attribute name.

• PushOp() pushes one of the query_op operators.

• The rest of the functions push values of the designated types.

For details on how the push method works, see "Constructing a Predicate."

The predicate that you construct through these functions can be returned as a string through the GetPredicate() function.

Sets the BQuery's target. The target identifies the BLooper/BHandler pair (a la the BInvoker target protocol) that will receive subsequent live query update messages. Calling this function declares the query to be live.

If target is NULL, the BQuery is told to be "not live". However, you can only turn off liveness (in this way) before you Fetch(). In other words, if you set the target, and then call Fetch() and then call SetTarget(NULL), the BQuery will think that it (itself) is not live, but it really is.

IsLive() tells you if the BQuery is live. The "liveness" needn't be actuated yet—live queries don't start operating until you tell the BQuery to Fetch(). The live query is killed when you delete or Clear() the BQuery object.

SetPredicate() sets the BQuery's predicate as a string. Predicate strings can be simple, single comparison expressions:

"name = fido"

Or they can be more complex:

"((name = fid*) || (size > 500)) && (last_modified < 243567)"

For the complete rules on setting the predicate as a string, see "Constructing a Predicate."

You can also set the predicate through the Push…() functions. You can't combine the methods: Pushing the predicate always takes precedence over SetPredicate(), regardless of the order in which the methods are deployed.

GetPredicate() copies the predicate into buf; length gives the length of buf, in bytes. If you want to find out how much storage you need to allocate to accommodate the predicate, call PredicateLength() first.

If you set the predicate through the Push…() functions, GetPredicate() converts the pushed construction into a string, and returns a copy of the string to you.

PredicateLength() returns the length of the predicate string, regardless of how it's created.

Warning

GetPredicate() and PredicateLength() both clear the push stack. This is important, because it means that you can't build up a portion of your predicate, then call GetPredicate(), build a little more, look again, build some more, etc. When you call GetPredicate(), you're done. Your next step should be a Fetch()

A query can only look in one volume at a time. This is where you set the volume that you want to look at.

Warning

Currently, SetVolume() doesn't complain if volume is invalid. However, the subsequent Fetch() will fail (B_NO_INIT).

These constants define the operations that can be used to specify a query. They are used in conjunction with the push functions for constructing a query.