---
name: "dwarf_get_pubtypes"
section: "3"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dwarf_get_pubtypes"
---

# dwarf\_get\_pubtypes(3)

retrieve information about user-defined types

## NAME

**dwarf\_get\_pubtypes**, **dwarf\_pubtype\_cu\_offset**, **dwarf\_pubtype\_die\_offset**, **dwarf\_pubtype\_name\_offsets**, **dwarf\_pubtypename** – retrieve information about user-defined types

## LIBRARY

library “libdwarf”

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<libdwarf.h\>**

*int*\

**dwarf\_get\_pubtypes**(*Dwarf\_Debug dbg*, *Dwarf\_Type \*\*types*, *Dwarf\_Signed \*ntypes*, *Dwarf\_Error \*err*);

*int*\

**dwarf\_pubtype\_cu\_offset**(*Dwarf\_Type type*, *Dwarf\_Off \*cu\_offset*, *Dwarf\_Error \*err*);

*int*\

**dwarf\_pubtype\_die\_offset**(*Dwarf\_Type type*, *Dwarf\_Off \*die\_offset*, *Dwarf\_Error \*err*);

*int*\

**dwarf\_pubtype\_name\_offsets**(*Dwarf\_Type type*, *char \*\*name*, *Dwarf\_Off \*die\_offset*, *Dwarf\_Off \*cu\_die\_offset*, *Dwarf\_Error \*err*);

*int*\

**dwarf\_pubtypename**(*Dwarf\_Type type*, *char \*\*name*, *Dwarf\_Error \*err*);

## DESCRIPTION

These functions retrieve information about file-scope, user-defined types recorded in lookup tables in the “.debug\_pubtypes” DWARF section. Information about these types is returned using opaque descriptors of type *Dwarf\_Type*. Applications need to use the functions described below to retrieve the name and offset information contained in these descriptors.

Function **dwarf\_get\_pubtypes**() retrieves descriptors for all the user-defined types associated with the DWARF debug context specified by argument *dbg*. The argument *types* should point to a location that will be set to a pointer to an array of *Dwarf\_Type* descriptors. The argument *ntypes* should point to a location that will be set to the number of descriptors returned.

Function **dwarf\_pubtype\_cu\_offset**() returns the offset, relative to the “.debug\_info” section, of the compilation unit that contains the debugging information entry associated with the argument *type*. Argument *cu\_offset* should point to a location that will hold the returned offset.

Function **dwarf\_pubtype\_die\_offset**() retrieves the offset, relative to the “.debug\_info” section, of the debugging information entry associated with the argument *type*, and stores it into the location pointed to by the argument *die\_offset*.

Function **dwarf\_pubtype\_name\_offsets**() retrieves the name and offsets for the debugging information entry for argument *type*. Argument *name* should point to a location which will be set to a pointer to a NUL-terminated string containing the name of the associated debugging information entry. Argument *die\_offset* should point to a location which will be set to the offset, relative to the “.debug\_info” section, of the associated debugging information entry. Argument *cu\_die\_offset* should point to a location which will be set to the offset, relative to the “.debug\_info” section, of the first debugging information entry in the compilation unit associated with argument *type*.

Function **dwarf\_pubtypename**() sets the location pointed to by argument *name* to a pointer to a NUL-terminated string holding the name of the debugging information entry associated with the argument *type*.

### Memory Management

The memory area used for the array of *Dwarf\_Type* descriptors returned in argument *types* by function **dwarf\_get\_pubtypes**() is owned by the library “libdwarf”. Application code should not attempt to directly free this pointer. Portable code should instead use the function [dwarf\_types\_dealloc(3)](/dwarf_types_dealloc/3.md) to indicate that the memory area may be freed.

The memory area used for the string returned in the *name* argument to functions **dwarf\_pubtype\_name\_offsets**() and **dwarf\_pubtypename**() is owned by the library “libdwarf”. Portable code should indicate that the memory area can be freed using the [dwarf\_dealloc(3)](/dwarf_dealloc/3.md) function.

### Error Returns

If argument *err* is not NULL, these functions will use it to store error information, in case of an error.

## RETURN VALUES

On success, these functions returns DW\_DLV\_OK. In case of an error, they return DW\_DLV\_ERROR and set the argument *err*.

## EXAMPLES

To retrieve the list of file scope user-defined types and print their names, use:

```
Dwarf_Debug dbg;
Dwarf_Signed ntypes;
Dwarf_Type *types;
Dwarf_Error err;
int n, result;
char *typename;
/* Initialize dbg etc. */;
result = dwarf_get_pubtypes(dbg, &types, &ntypes, &err);
if (result != DW_DLV_OK) /* Handle the error. */
	;
/* Iterate over the returned array of descriptors. */
for (n = 0; n < ntypes; n++) {
	result = dwarf_pubtypename(types[n], &typename, &err);
	if (result != DW_DLV_OK) /* Handle the error. */
		;
	printf("%s\n", typename);
}
/* Deallocate the returned array. */
dwarf_types_dealloc(dbg, types, ntypes);
```

## ERRORS

These functions may fail with the following errors:

- \[DW\_DLE\_ARGUMENT\]

  One of the arguments *cu\_die\_offset*, *cu\_offset*, *dbg*, *die\_offset*, *type*, *types*, *name*, or *ntypes* was NULL.

- \[DW\_DLE\_NO\_ENTRY\]

  The DWARF debugging context referenced by argument *dbg* did not contain information about user-defined types.

## SEE ALSO

[dwarf(3)](/dwarf/3.md), [dwarf\_dealloc(3)](/dwarf_dealloc/3.md), [dwarf\_get\_cu\_die\_offset\_given\_cu\_header\_offset(3)](/dwarf_get_cu_die_offset_given_cu_header_offset/3.md), [dwarf\_pubtypes\_dealloc(3)](/dwarf_pubtypes_dealloc/3.md)