---
name: "InetAddress"
section: "3cc"
platform: "linux"
package: "libcommoncpp2-dev"
version: "1.0.13-5"
release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/InetAddress"
---

# InetAddress(3cc)

The network name and address objects are all derived from a common InetAddress base class. Internet Address binary data type.

## NAME

InetAddress - The network name and address objects are all derived from a common InetAddress base class. Internet Address binary data type.

## SYNOPSIS

`#include <socket.h>`

Inherited by **BroadcastAddress**, **InetHostAddress**, **InetMaskAddress**, and **InetMcastAddress**.

### Public Methods

**InetAddress** (const **InetAddrValidator** \*validator=NULL)\
 *Create an Internet Address object with an empty (0.0.0.0) address.* **InetAddress** (struct in\_addr addr, const **InetAddrValidator** \*validator=NULL)\
 *Convert the system internet address data type (struct in\_addr) into a Common C++ InetAddress object.* **InetAddress** (const char \*address, const **InetAddrValidator** \*validator=NULL)\
 *Convert a null terminated ASCII host address string (example: '127.0.0.1') or host address name (example: 'www.voxilla.org') directly into a Common C++ InetAddress object.* **InetAddress** (const InetAddress &rhs)\
 *Copy constructor.* virtual **~InetAddress** ()\
 *Destructor.* const char \* **getHostname** (void) const\
 *Provide a string representation of the value (Internet Address) held in the InetAddress object.* bool **isInetAddress** (void) const\
 *May be used to verify if a given InetAddress returned by another function contains a 'valid' address, or '0.0.0.0' which is often used to mark 'invalid' InetAddress values.* in\_addr **getAddress** (void) const\
 *Provide a low level system usable struct in\_addr object from the contents of InetAddress.* in\_addr **getAddress** (size\_t i) const\
 *Provide a low level system usable struct in\_addr object from the contents of InetAddress.* size\_t **getAddressCount** () const\
 *Returns the number of internet addresses that an InetAddress object contains.* InetAddress & **operator=** (const char \*str)\
 InetAddress & **operator=** (struct in\_addr addr)\
 InetAddress & **operator=** (const InetAddress &rhs)\
 InetAddress & **operator=** (unsigned long addr)\
 *Allows assignment from the return of functions like inet\_addr() or htonl().* InetAddress & **operator=** (unsigned int addr)\
 bool **operator!** () const\
 bool **operator==** (const InetAddress &a) const\
 *Compare two internet addresses to see if they are equal (if they specify the physical address of the same internet host).* bool **operator!=** (const InetAddress &a) const\
 *Compare two internet addresses to see if they are not equal (if they each refer to unique and different physical ip addresses).*

### Protected Methods

bool **setIPAddress** (const char \*host)\
 *Sets the IP address from a string representation of the numeric address, ie '127.0.0.1'.* void **setAddress** (const char \*host)\
 *Used to specify a host name or numeric internet address.*

### Protected Attributes

in\_addr \* **ipaddr**\
 size\_t **addr\_count**\
 char \* **hostname**\

### Static Protected Attributes

**Mutex** **mutex**\

## DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The network name and address objects are all derived from a common InetAddress base class. Internet Address binary data type.

Specific classes, such as **InetHostAddress**, **InetMaskAddress**, etc, are defined from InetAddress entirely so that the manner a network address is being used can easily be documented and understood from the code and to avoid common errors and accidental misuse  of the wrong address object. For example, a 'connection' to something that is declared as a '**InetHostAddress**' can be kept type-safe from a 'connection' accidently being made to something that was declared a  'InetBroadcastAddress'.

**Author:**  David Sugar \<dyfet@ostel.com\>

## CONSTRUCTOR & DESTRUCTOR DOCUMENTATION

### InetAddress::InetAddress (const InetAddrValidator \* validator = NULL)

Create an Internet Address object with an empty (0.0.0.0) address.

**Parameters:**

- *validator*

  *optional validator function object, intended for derived classes.*

### InetAddress::InetAddress (struct in\_addr addr, const InetAddrValidator \* validator = NULL)

*Convert the system internet address data type (struct in\_addr) into a Common C++ InetAddress object.*

**Parameters:**

- *addr*

  *struct of system used binary internet address.*

- *validator*

  *optional validator function object, intended for derived classes.*

### InetAddress::InetAddress (const char \* address, const InetAddrValidator \* validator = NULL)

*Convert a null terminated ASCII host address string (example: '127.0.0.1') or host address name (example: 'www.voxilla.org') directly into a Common C++ InetAddress object.*

**Parameters:**

- *address*

  *null terminated C string.*

- *validator*

  *optional validator function object, intended for derived classes.*

### InetAddress::InetAddress (const InetAddress & rhs)

*Copy constructor.*

### virtual InetAddress::~InetAddress ()` [virtual]`

*Destructor.*

## MEMBER FUNCTION DOCUMENTATION

### struct in\_addr InetAddress::getAddress (size\_t i) const

*Provide a low level system usable struct in\_addr object from the contents of InetAddress.*

*This is needed for services such as bind() and connect().*

**Parameters:**

- *i*

  *for InetAddresses with multiple addresses, returns the address at this index. User should call* **getAddressCount()**  *to determine the number of address the object contains.*

**Returns:**  *system binary coded internet address. If parameter i is out of range, the first address is returned.*

### struct in\_addr InetAddress::getAddress (void) const

*Provide a low level system usable struct in\_addr object from the contents of InetAddress.*

*This is needed for services such as bind() and connect().*

**Returns:**  *system binary coded internet address.*

### size\_t InetAddress::getAddressCount () const` [inline]`

*Returns the number of internet addresses that an InetAddress object contains.*

*This usually only happens with* **InetHostAddress** *objects where multiple IP addresses are returned for a DNS lookup*

### const char\* InetAddress::getHostname (void) const

*Provide a string representation of the value (Internet Address) held in the InetAddress object.*

**Returns:**  *string representation of InetAddress.*

### bool InetAddress::isInetAddress (void) const

*May be used to verify if a given InetAddress returned by another function contains a 'valid' address, or '0.0.0.0' which is often used to mark 'invalid' InetAddress values.*

**Returns:**  *true if address != 0.0.0.0.*

### bool InetAddress::operator! (void) const` [inline]`

### bool InetAddress::operator!= (const InetAddress & a) const

*Compare two internet addresses to see if they are not equal (if they each refer to unique and different physical ip addresses).*

*This is implimented in terms of operator==*

### InetAddress& InetAddress::operator= (unsigned int addr)` [inline]`

### InetAddress& InetAddress::operator= (unsigned long addr)

*Allows assignment from the return of functions like inet\_addr() or htonl().*

*Reimplemented in* **InetMaskAddress***, and* **InetHostAddress***.*

### InetAddress& InetAddress::operator= (const InetAddress & rhs)

### InetAddress& InetAddress::operator= (struct in\_addr addr)

### InetAddress& InetAddress::operator= (const char \* str)

### bool InetAddress::operator== (const InetAddress & a) const

*Compare two internet addresses to see if they are equal (if they specify the physical address of the same internet host).*

*If there is more than one IP address in either InetAddress object, this will return true if all of the IP addresses in the smaller are in the larger in any order.*

### void InetAddress::setAddress (const char \* host)` [protected]`

*Used to specify a host name or numeric internet address.*

**Parameters:**

- *host*

  *The string representation of the IP address or a hostname, , if NULL, it will default to INADDR\_ANY*

### bool InetAddress::setIPAddress (const char \* host)` [protected]`

*Sets the IP address from a string representation of the numeric address, ie '127.0.0.1'.*

**Parameters:**

- *host*

  *The string representation of the IP address*

**Returns:**  *true if successful*

## MEMBER DATA DOCUMENTATION

### size\_t InetAddress::addr\_count` [protected]`

### char\* InetAddress::hostname` [protected]`

### struct in\_addr\* InetAddress::ipaddr` [protected]`

### Mutex InetAddress::mutex` [static, protected]`

## AUTHOR

*Generated automatically by Doxygen for CommonC++ from the source code.*