getting ip by hostname

Hi, I have been working on this since a few hours, and I am stuck. If gethostbyaddr fails it should try gethostbyname, but neither of them is working.

Can anyone point me to the problem?

Code:

const char *host = "localhost";

int main(void) {
				char buf[128];
				LPHOSTENT hostent = NULL;
				IN_ADDR iaddr;
				DWORD addr = inet_addr(host); 

				if (addr != INADDR_NONE) {
					hostent = gethostbyaddr((char *)&addr, sizeof(struct in_addr), AF_INET);
					if (hostent != NULL) {
						sprintf(buf, ".»». -> %s.", hostent->h_name);
						puts(buf);
					}
				}
				else {
					hostent = gethostbyname(host);
					if (hostent != NULL) {
						iaddr = *((LPIN_ADDR)*hostent->h_addr_list);
						sprintf(buf, ".»». -> %s.", inet_ntoa(iaddr));
						puts(buf);
					}
				}
				if (hostent == NULL) {
					sprintf(buf,".»».  Couldn't resolve hostname.");
					puts(buf);
				}
				

	return 0;
}

Read the manual pages to find out how those functions pass back extended error information, then use that to print something more informative than "it didn't work".

If gethostbyaddr fails it should try gethostbyname

Your program's logic reads differently. If gethostbyaddr() is merely called, gethostbyname() will never get called, regardless of gethostbyaddr()'s result. Check the logic on your outermost if()/else statements. gethostbyname() gets called if inet_addr() is called, and does not return INADDR_NONE. Your implementation seems correct (much like example code out there), you understanding, however, is incorrect.

Some nitpicks: You also called sprintf/puts together - why not just printf()? Also, those fancy double arrows don't display in my (Windows) 'terminal'...

Finally, since you seem to be using windows: First, choose whether to use the windows typenames, or the standard ones. (LPHOSTENT or struct hostent *) (Use the latter - they're portable!) Finally: Are you called WSAStartup()/WSACleanup() - everything will mysteriously fail until you do. Hint: Call WSAGetLastError(), as Salem suggests:

Code:

WSAGetLastError(): 10093
...
#define WSANOTINITIALISED	(WSABASEERR+93)