---
name: "pfm_find_event_bycode"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libpfm3-3.2-dev"
version: "3.2.070507-1.1"
release: "Debian 6.0 (Squeeze)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pfm_find_event"
---

# pfm\_find\_event\_bycode(3)

search for events and unit masks

Part of [pfm\_find\_event(3)](/pfm_find_event/3.md).

## NAME

pfm\_find\_event, pfm\_find\_full\_event, pfm\_find\_event\_bycode, pfm\_find\_event\_bycode\_next, pfm\_find\_event\_mask - search for events and unit masks

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <perfmon/pfmlib.h>

int pfm_find_event(const char *str, unsigned int *desc);
int pfm_find_full_event(const char *str, pfmlib_event_t *e);
int pfm_find_event_bycode(int code, unsigned int *desc);
int pfm_find_event_bycode_next(unsigned int desc1, int code, unsigned int *desc);
int pfm_find_event_mask(unsigned int *idx, const char *str, unsigned int *mask_idx);

```

## DESCRIPTION

The PMU counters can be programmed to count the number of occurrences of certain events. The number of events varies from one PMU model to the other. Each event has a name and a code which is used to program the actual PMU register. Some event may need to be further qualified with unit masks.

The library does not directly expose the event code, nor unit mask code, to user applications because it is not necessary. Instead applications use names to query the library for particular information about events. Given an event name, the library returns an opaque descriptor.  Each descriptor is unique and has no relationship to the event code.

The set of functions described here can be used to get an event descriptor given either the name of the event or its code. Several events may share the same code. An event name is a string structured as: event\_name\[:unit\_mask1\[:unit\_mask2\]\].

The **pfm\_find\_event** function is a general purpose search routine. Given an event name in **str**, it returns the descriptor for the corresponding event.  If unit masks are provided, they are not taken into account. This function is being deprecated in favor of **pfm\_find\_full\_event\_name**.

The **pfm\_find\_full\_event** function is a general purpose search routine. Given an event name, it returns in **ev**, the full event descriptor that includes the event descriptor in **ev-\>event** and the unit mask descriptors in **ev-\>unit\_masks**. The number of unit masks descriptors returned is indicated in **ev-\>num\_masks**. This function is the preferred search function.

The **pfm\_find\_event\_bycode** searches for an event given its **code** represented as an integer. It returns in **desc**, the event code. Unit masks are ignored.

Because there can be several events with the same code, the library provides the **pfm\_find\_event\_bycode\_next** to search for other events with the same code. Given an event **desc1** and a **code**, this function will look for the next event with the same code. If such an event exists, its descriptor will be stored into **desc**. It is not necessary to have called **pfm\_find\_event\_bycode** prior to calling this function. This function is fully threadsafe as it does not maintain any state between calls.

The **pfm\_find\_event\_mask** function is used to find the unit mask descriptor based on its name passed in **str** for the event specified in **idx**. Some events do not have unit masks, in which case this function returns an error.

## RETURN

All functions return whether or not the call was successful. A return value of **PFMLIB\_SUCCESS** indicates success,  otherwise the value is the error code.

## ERRORS

**PFMLIB\_ERR\_NOINIT** the library has not been initialized properly.

- **PFMLIB\_ERR\_INVAL**

  the event descriptor is invalid, or the pointer argument is NULL.

- **PFMLIB\_ERR\_NOTFOUND**

  no matching event or unit mask was found.

## AUTHOR

Stephane Eranian \<eranian@hpl.hp.com\>