---
name: "gd_uninclude"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libgetdata-doc"
version: "0.11.0-15"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gd_uninclude"
---

# gd\_uninclude(3)

remove a format specification fragment from a Dirfile

## NAME

gd\_uninclude — remove a format specification fragment from a Dirfile

## SYNOPSIS

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

**int gd\_uninclude(DIRFILE \****dirfile***, int** *fragment\_index***,** **int** *del***);**

## DESCRIPTION

The **gd\_uninclude**() removes the format specification fragment indexed by *fragment\_index* from the specified dirfile, as well as any fragments the indicated fragment INCLUDEs.  Fields defined in the removed fragments will be removed from the dirfile.

Before removing the specified fragment, all pending writes are flushed to **RAW** fields defined the the removed fragments.  If *del* is zero, metadata changes will also be written to the removed fragments.  If *del* is non-zero, the format specification fragments will be deleted from disk, if possible.  Regardless of the value of *del*, binary data files associated with **RAW** fields defined in the removed fragments will not be deleted.  To delete these binary files, use [**gd\_delete**(3)](/gd_delete/3.md) before calling this function.

The primary format specification (the fragment indexed by zero) cannot be removed from the dirfile.

## RETURN VALUE

On success, **gd\_uninclude**() returns zero.  On error, a negative-valued error code is returned.  Possible error codes are:\
  .TP 8 **GD\_E\_ACCMODE** The supplied dirfile was opened in read-only mode.\
  .TP 8 **GD\_E\_ALLOC** The library was unable to allocate memory.\
  .TP 8 **GD\_E\_BAD\_DIRFILE** The supplied dirfile was invalid.\
  .TP 8 **GD\_E\_BAD\_INDEX** The supplied fragment index was out of range, or an attempt was made to remove the primary format specification.\
  .TP 8 **GD\_E\_IO** An I/O error occurred while trying to write modified data or metadata to disk.\
  .TP 8 **GD\_E\_PROTECTED** The metadata of the fragment which included the removed fragment was protected from change.

The error code is also stored in the **DIRFILE** object and may be retrieved after this function returns by calling [**gd\_error**(3)](/gd_error/3.md). A descriptive error string for the error may be obtained by calling [**gd\_error\_string**(3)](/gd_error_string/3.md).

## NOTES

This function re-arranges the remaining format specification fragments in some unspecified way, except for the primary fragment, which is guaranteed to remain at index zero.  Callers which cache format specification fragment indices must re-initialise their cache after calling this function.

## HISTORY

The **dirfile\_uninclude**() function appeared in GetData-0.5.0.

In GetData-0.7.0, this function was renamed to **gd\_uninclude**().

In GetData-0.10.0, the error return from this function changed from -1 to a negative-valued error code.

## SEE ALSO

[**gd\_delete**(3)](/gd_delete/3.md), [**gd\_include**(3)](/gd_include/3.md), [**gd\_open**(3)](/gd_open/3.md), [**gd\_error**(3)](/gd_error/3.md), [**gd\_error\_string**(3)](/gd_error_string/3.md), [**gd\_fragmentname**(3)](/gd_fragmentname/3.md), [**gd\_nfragments**(3)](/gd_nfragments/3.md), [**gd\_reference**(3)](/gd_reference/3.md), [dirfile(5)](/dirfile/5.md), [dirfile-encoding(5)](/dirfile-encoding/5.md), [dirfile-format(5)](/dirfile-format/5.md)