[asterisk-dev] [why I cannot write to ast_channel_exten(chan)]

[Walter Doekes]

On 24/01/13 07:11, Jeremy Kister wrote:
>  > ast_copy_string(ast_channel_exten(chan), results,
> sizeof(ast_channel_exten(chan)) - 1);

ast_copy_string takes a non-const char, because it will be writing to it.

ast_channel_exten returns a const-string, which is by definition immutable.

If you try to write to a const, you'll get compiler warnings in the best 
case and undefined mayhem in the worst.


This change was the "channel opaqification" introduced in asterisk 12. 
If means you're not allowed to read/write from/to any channel internals 
directly anymore.

I.e. not chan->exten, but ast_channel_exten() for reading, and probably 
a writing counterpart.

Let's see:

   $ grep ast_channel_exten . -r
   ...
   ast_channel_exten_set(transferee, ast_channel_exten(chan1));

That looks like a likely candidate.


In include/asterisk/channel.h, the getters and setters are placed 
conveniently right next to each other:

   const char *ast_channel_context(const struct ast_channel *chan);
   void ast_channel_context_set(struct ast_channel *chan, const char 
*value);

   const char *ast_channel_exten(const struct ast_channel *chan);
   void ast_channel_exten_set(struct ast_channel *chan, const char *value);

   const char *ast_channel_macrocontext(const struct ast_channel *chan);
   void ast_channel_macrocontext_set(struct ast_channel *chan, const 
char *value);


Cheers,
/w