/usr/man/cat.3/BN_init.3.Z(/usr/man/cat.3/BN_init.3.Z)

NAME

       BN_new, BN_init, BN_clear, BN_free, BN_clear_free - allocate and free
       BIGNUMs

SYNOPSIS

        #include <openssl/bn.h>

        BIGNUM *BN_new(void);

        void BN_init(BIGNUM *);

        void BN_clear(BIGNUM *a);

        void BN_free(BIGNUM *a);

        void BN_clear_free(BIGNUM *a);

DESCRIPTION

       BN_new() allocated and initializes a BIGNUM structure. BN_init() ini-
       tializes an existing uninitialized BIGNUM.

       BN_clear() is used to destroy sensitive data such as keys when they are
       no longer needed. It erases the memory used by a and sets it to the
       value 0.

       BN_free() frees the components of the BIGNUM, and if it was created by
       BN_new(), also the structure itself. BN_clear_free() additionally over-
       writes the data before the memory is returned to the system.

RETURN VALUES

       BN_new() returns a pointer to the BIGNUM. If the allocation fails, it
       returns NULL and sets an error code that can be obtained by
       ERR_get_error(3).

       BN_init(), BN_clear(), BN_free() and BN_clear_free() have no return
       values.

SEE ALSO

       bn(3), ERR_get_error(3)

HISTORY

       BN_new(), BN_clear(), BN_free() and BN_clear_free() are available in
       all versions on SSLeay and OpenSSL.  BN_init() was added in SSLeay
       0.9.1b.

0.9.7g                            2002-09-25                         BN_new(3)
See also BN_clear(3):  man 3 BN_clear
See also BN_clear_free(3):  man 3 BN_clear_free
See also BN_free(3):  man 3 BN_free
See also BN_new(3):  man 3 BN_new