---
name: "ost_IPV4Address"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libcommoncpp2-doc"
version: "1.8.1-10"
release: "Debian 11 (Bullseye)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ost_IPV4Address"
---

# ost\_IPV4Address(3)

The network name and address objects are all derived from a common IPV4Address base class.

## NAME

ost::IPV4Address - The network name and address objects are all derived from a common **IPV4Address** base class.

## SYNOPSIS

`#include <address.h>`

Inherited by **ost::IPV4Broadcast**, **ost::IPV4Host**, **ost::IPV4Mask**, and **ost::IPV4Multicast**.

### Public Member Functions

**IPV4Address** (const **IPV4Validator** \*validator=NULL)\
 Create an Internet Address object with an empty (0.0.0.0) address.  **IPV4Address** (struct in\_addr addr, const **IPV4Validator** \*validator=NULL)\
 Convert the system internet address data type (struct in\_addr) into a Common C++ **IPV4Address** object.  **IPV4Address** (const char \*address, const **IPV4Validator** \*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++ **IPV4Address** object.  **IPV4Address** (const **IPV4Address** &rhs)\
 Copy constructor.  virtual **~IPV4Address** ()\
 Destructor.  const char \* **getHostname** (void) const\
 Provide a string representation of the value (Internet Address) held in the **IPV4Address** object.  bool **isInetAddress** (void) const\
 May be used to verify if a given **IPV4Address** returned by another function contains a 'valid' address, or '0.0.0.0' which is often used to mark 'invalid' **IPV4Address** values.  struct in\_addr **getAddress** (void) const\
 Provide a low level system usable struct in\_addr object from the contents of **IPV4Address**.  struct in\_addr **getAddress** (size\_t i) const\
 Provide a low level system usable struct in\_addr object from the contents of **IPV4Address**.  size\_t **getAddressCount** () const\
 Returns the number of internet addresses that an **IPV4Address** object contains.  **IPV4Address** & **operator=** (const char \*str)\
 **IPV4Address** & **operator=** (struct in\_addr addr)\
 **IPV4Address** & **operator=** (const **IPV4Address** &rhs)\
 **IPV4Address** & **operator=** (unsigned long addr)\
 Allows assignment from the return of functions like inet\_addr() or htonl()  **IPV4Address** & **operator=** (unsigned int addr)\
 bool **operator!** () const\
 bool **operator==** (const **IPV4Address** &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 **IPV4Address** &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 Member Functions

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

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

### Static Protected Attributes

static **Mutex** **mutex**\

## Detailed Description

The network name and address objects are all derived from a common **IPV4Address** base class.

Specific classes, such as **IPV4Host**, **IPV4Mask**, etc, are defined from **IPV4Address** 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 'IPV4Host' can be kept type-safe from a 'connection' accidently being made to something that was declared a 'IPV4Broadcast'.

**Author**

David Sugar dyfet@ostel.com

Internet Address binary data type.

**Examples** **tcpthread.cpp**.

## Constructor & Destructor Documentation

### ost::IPV4Address::IPV4Address (const IPV4Validator \* 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.

### ost::IPV4Address::IPV4Address (struct in\_addr addr, const IPV4Validator \* validator = `NULL`)

Convert the system internet address data type (struct in\_addr) into a Common C++ **IPV4Address** object.

**Parameters**

*addr* struct of system used binary internet address. \
 *validator* optional validator function object, intended for derived classes.

### ost::IPV4Address::IPV4Address (const char \* address, const IPV4Validator \* 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++ **IPV4Address** object.

**Parameters**

*address* null terminated C string. \
 *validator* optional validator function object, intended for derived classes.

### ost::IPV4Address::IPV4Address (const IPV4Address & rhs)

Copy constructor.

### virtual ost::IPV4Address::~IPV4Address ()` [virtual]`

Destructor.

## Member Function Documentation

### struct in\_addr ost::IPV4Address::getAddress (size\_t i) const

Provide a low level system usable struct in\_addr object from the contents of **IPV4Address**. This is needed for services such as bind() and connect().

**Parameters**

*i* for IPV4Addresses 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 ost::IPV4Address::getAddress (void) const

Provide a low level system usable struct in\_addr object from the contents of **IPV4Address**. This is needed for services such as bind() and connect().

**Returns**

system binary coded internet address.

### size\_t ost::IPV4Address::getAddressCount () const` [inline]`

Returns the number of internet addresses that an **IPV4Address** object contains. This usually only happens with **IPV4Host** objects where multiple IP addresses are returned for a DNS lookup

### const char\* ost::IPV4Address::getHostname (void) const

Provide a string representation of the value (Internet Address) held in the **IPV4Address** object.

**Returns**

string representation of **IPV4Address**.

**Examples** **tcpthread.cpp**.

### bool ost::IPV4Address::isInetAddress (void) const

May be used to verify if a given **IPV4Address** returned by another function contains a 'valid' address, or '0.0.0.0' which is often used to mark 'invalid' **IPV4Address** values.

**Returns**

true if address != 0.0.0.0.

### bool ost::IPV4Address::operator! () const` [inline]`

### bool ost::IPV4Address::operator!= (const IPV4Address & 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==

### IPV4Address& ost::IPV4Address::operator= (const char \* str)

Referenced by ost::IPV4Mask::operator=(), and ost::IPV4Host::operator=().

### IPV4Address& ost::IPV4Address::operator= (const IPV4Address & rhs)

### IPV4Address& ost::IPV4Address::operator= (struct in\_addr addr)

### IPV4Address& ost::IPV4Address::operator= (unsigned int addr)` [inline]`

### IPV4Address& ost::IPV4Address::operator= (unsigned long addr)

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

### bool ost::IPV4Address::operator== (const IPV4Address & 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 **IPV4Address** object, this will return true if all of the IP addresses in the smaller are in the larger in any order.

### void ost::IPV4Address::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 ost::IPV4Address::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 ost::IPV4Address::addr\_count` [protected]`

### char\* ost::IPV4Address::hostname` [mutable]`, ` [protected]`

### struct in\_addr\* ost::IPV4Address::ipaddr` [protected]`

### Mutex ost::IPV4Address::mutex` [static]`, ` [protected]`

## Author

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