### 36.10 Group Database Functions ¶

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

`name`

  The user name.

`passwd`

  The encrypted password, if available.

`gid`

  The numeric group id.

`mem`

  The members of the group.

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

`grp_struct =` getgrent `()` ¶

  Return an entry from the group database, opening it if necessary.

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

  See also: setgrent, endgrent.

`grp_struct =` getgrgid `(gid).` ¶

  Return the first entry from the group database with the group ID gid.

  If the group ID does not exist in the database, `getgrgid` returns 0.

  See also: getgrnam.

`grp_struct =` getgrnam `(name)` ¶

  Return the first entry from the group database with the group name name.

  If the group name does not exist in the database, `getgrnam` returns 0.

  See also: getgrgid.

`[status, msg] =` setgrent `()` ¶

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

  See also: getgrent, endgrent.

`[status, msg] =` endgrent `()` ¶

  Close the group database.

  See also: getgrent, setgrent.