---
name: "editmap"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "sendmail-bin"
version: "8.18.1-6+b1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/editmap"
---

# editmap(8)

query and edit single records in database maps for sendmail

## NAME

**editmap** - query and edit single records in database maps for sendmail

## SYNOPSIS

**editmap** \[**-C** *file*\] \[**-N**\] \[**-f**\] \[**-q\|-u\|-x**\] maptype mapname key \[ "value ..." \]

## DESCRIPTION

**Editmap** queries or edits one record in database maps used by the keyed map lookups in [sendmail(8)](/sendmail/8.md). Arguments are passed on the command line and output (for queries) is directed to standard output.

Depending on how it is compiled, **editmap** handles different database formats,  selected using the *maptype* parameter.   They may be

- dbm

  DBM format maps.   This requires the  ndbm(3)  library.

- btree

  B-Tree format maps.   This requires the new Berkeley DB  library.

- hash

  Hash format maps.   This also requires the Berkeley DB  library.

- cdb

  CDB (Constant DataBase) format maps.   This requires the tinycdb library.

If the *TrustedUser* option is set in the sendmail configuration file and **editmap** is invoked as root, the generated files will be owned by the specified *TrustedUser.*

### Flags

- **-C**

  Use the specified **sendmail** configuration file for looking up the TrustedUser option.

- **-N**

  Include the null byte that terminates strings in the map (for alias maps).

- **-f**

  Normally all upper case letters in the key are folded to lower case. This flag disables that behaviour. This is intended to mesh with the -f flag in the **K** line in sendmail.cf. The value is never case folded.

- **-q**

  Query the map for the specified key.  If found, print value to standard output and exit with 0.  If not found then print an error message to stdout and exit with EX\_UNAVAILABLE.

- **-u**

  Update the record for *key* with *value* or inserts a new record if one doesn't exist.  Exits with 0 on success or EX\_IOERR on failure.

- **-x**

  Deletes the specific key from the map.  Exits with 0 on success or EX\_IOERR on failure.

- [sendmail(8)](/sendmail/8.md),

  ## SEE ALSO

[makemap(8)](/makemap/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **editmap** command has no history.