Re: Make and Edit database

Ben Ferderer <[email protected]> wrote:
> However it is all going over my head on how to simple make a database
> and edit and existing one.

Strictly speaking, you can't edit an existing database (the "c" is for
"constant"); instead, you replace the database with a new one.

If you want to write your own C code using the cdb library, read
<URL:http://cr.yp.to/cdb/reading.html>.  If you want to use the
standard cdb programs from a script, read
<URL:http://cr.yp.to/cdb/cdbmake.html> and
<URL:http://cr.yp.to/cdb/cdbget.html>.  Example:

$ cat passwd.in
+4,8:b1ff->p455w0rd

$ cdbmake < passwd.in passwd.cdb passwd.cdb.tmp
$ cdbget b1ff < passwd.cdb; echo
p455w0rd
$ cdbdump < passwd.cdb
+4,8:b1ff->p455w0rd

$ 

Edit passwd.in however you like, and then run cdbmake when you're
ready to update the database.  The input format is a bit hard to edit
by hand, since you have to get the lengths right.  You may find it
more convenient to edit a file containing lines like "b1ff:p455w0rd",
and then use a Perl script or whatever to produce
"+4,8:b1ff->p455w0rd" from that.  Remember that cdbmake's input must
end with an empty line.


paul