NAME

   uuid_compare - Compares two UUIDs and determines their order

   Used by client, server, or management applications.

 SYNOPSIS

   #include <dce/uuid.h>

   signed32 uuid_compare( uuid_t *uuid1,
                          uuid_t *uuid2,
                          unsigned32 *status );

 PARAMETERS

   Input

   uuid1
       Specifies a pointer to a UUID. This UUID is compared with the UUID
       specified in uuid2.  Use the value NULL to specify a nil UUID for
       this parameter.

   uuid2
       Specifies a pointer to a UUID. This UUID is compared with the UUID
       specified in uuid1.  Use the value NULL to specify a nil UUID for
       this parameter.

   Output

   status
       Returns the status code from this routine.  This status code
       indicates whether the routine completed successfully or, if not,
       why not.  The possible status codes and their meanings are as
       follows:

       uuid_s_ok                 Success.

       uuid_s_bad_version        Bad UUID version.

 DESCRIPTION

   The uuid_compare() routine compares two UUIDs and determines their
   order.  A nil UUID is considered the first element in order.  The
   order of UUIDs is defined by the RPC architecture and is not a
   temporal (related to time) ordering.  Comparing two specific UUIDs
   always returns the same result regardless of the implementation or
   system architecture.

   You can use this routine to sort data with UUIDs as a key.

 RETURN VALUES

   Returns one of the following constants:

   -1  The uuid1 parameter precedes the uuid2 parameter in order.

    0  The uuid1 parameter is equal to the uuid2 parameter in order.

    1  The uuid1 parameter follows the uuid2 parameter in order.

   Note that a value of 0 (zero) has the same meaning as if
   uuid_equal(&uuid1, &uuid2) returned a value of TRUE.

   A nil UUID is the first UUID in order.  This means the following:

     +  If uuid1 is NULL and uuid2 is non-nil, the routine returns -1.

     +  If uuid1 is NULL and uuid2 is NULL, the routine returns 0.

     +  If uuid1 is non-nil and uuid2 is NULL, the routine returns 1.

 RELATED INFORMATION

   Functions: uuid_equal
              uuid_is_nil