### 36.9 Password Database Functions ¶

Octave’s password database functions return information in a structure with the following fields.

`name`

  The user name.

`passwd`

  The encrypted password, if available.

`uid`

  The numeric user id.

`gid`

  The numeric group id.

`gecos`

  The GECOS field.

`dir`

  The home directory.

`shell`

  The initial shell.

In the descriptions of the following functions, this data structure is referred to as a pw_struct.

`pw_struct =` getpwent `()` ¶

  Return a structure containing an entry from the password database, opening it if necessary.

  Once the end of the data has been reached, `getpwent` returns 0.

  See also: setpwent, endpwent.

`pw_struct =` getpwuid `(uid).` ¶

  Return a structure containing the first entry from the password database with the user ID uid.

  If the user ID does not exist in the database, `getpwuid` returns 0.

  See also: getpwnam.

`pw_struct =` getpwnam `(name)` ¶

  Return a structure containing the first entry from the password database with the user name name.

  If the user name does not exist in the database, `getpwname` returns 0.

  See also: getpwuid.

`[status, msg] =` setpwent `()` ¶

  Return the internal pointer to the beginning of the password database.

  See also: getpwent, endpwent.

`[status, msg] =` endpwent `()` ¶

  Close the password database.

  See also: getpwent, setpwent.