xref: /freebsd/share/man/man9/device_get_softc.9 (revision 911f0260390e18cf85f3dbf2c719b593efdc1e3c)
1.\" -*- nroff -*-
2.\"
3.\" Copyright (c) 1998 Doug Rabson
4.\"
5.\" All rights reserved.
6.\"
7.\" This program is free software.
8.\"
9.\" Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
10.\" modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
11.\" are met:
12.\" 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
13.\"    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
14.\" 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
15.\"    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
16.\"    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
17.\"
18.\" THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE DEVELOPERS ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR
19.\" IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
20.\" OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.
21.\" IN NO EVENT SHALL THE DEVELOPERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT,
22.\" INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
23.\" NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
24.\" DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
25.\" THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
26.\" (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF
27.\" THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
28.\"
29.\" $FreeBSD$
30.\"
31.Dd January 21, 2015
32.Dt DEVICE_GET_SOFTC 9
33.Os
34.Sh NAME
35.Nm device_get_softc
36.Nd access driver private instance variables
37.Sh SYNOPSIS
38.In sys/param.h
39.In sys/bus.h
40.Ft void *
41.Fn device_get_softc "device_t dev"
42.Sh DESCRIPTION
43Return the driver-specific software context of
44.Fa dev .
45The softc is automatically allocated and zeroed when the device is
46attached.
47The softc is also initialized and present when a device is probed,
48but is subject to caveats as described in
49.Xr DEVICE_PROBE 9 .
50The size of the allocation is determined by the device's
51.Vt driver_t
52information used to define the driver.
53The softc typically encapsulates the state of this instance of the
54device.
55.Pp
56Driver writers are discouraged from using their own softc management
57mechanisms.
58Driver writers should not copy such mechanisms found in drivers in the
59tree that predate this function.
60.Sh RETURN VALUES
61The pointer to the driver-specific instance variable is returned.
62.Sh SEE ALSO
63.Xr device 9 ,
64.Xr DEVICE_PROBE 9 ,
65.Xr device_set_softc 9 ,
66.Xr driver 9
67.Sh AUTHORS
68This manual page was written by
69.An Doug Rabson .
70