BN_CTX_new(3)               OpenSSL               BN_CTX_new(3)





NAME
       BN_CTX_new, BN_CTX_init, BN_CTX_free - allocate and free
       BN_CTX structures

SYNOPSIS
        #include <openssl/bn.h>

        BN_CTX *BN_CTX_new(void);

        void BN_CTX_init(BN_CTX *c);

        void BN_CTX_free(BN_CTX *c);

DESCRIPTION
       A BN_CTX is a structure that holds BIGNUM temporary
       variables used by library functions. Since dynamic mem-
       ory allocation to create BIGNUMs is rather expensive
       when used in conjunction with repeated subroutine calls,
       the BN_CTX structure is used.

       BN_CTX_new() allocates and initializes a BN_CTX struc-
       ture. BN_CTX_init() initializes an existing uninitial-
       ized BN_CTX.

       BN_CTX_free() frees the components of the BN_CTX, and if
       it was created by BN_CTX_new(), also the structure
       itself.  If BN_CTX_start(3) has been used on the BN_CTX,
       BN_CTX_end(3) must be called before the BN_CTX may be
       freed by BN_CTX_free().

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

       BN_CTX_init() and BN_CTX_free() have no return values.

SEE ALSO
       bn(3), ERR_get_error(3), BN_add(3), BN_CTX_start(3)

HISTORY
       BN_CTX_new() and BN_CTX_free() are available in all ver-
       sions on SSLeay and OpenSSL. BN_CTX_init() was added in
       SSLeay 0.9.1b.



0.9.7c                     2002-09-25             BN_CTX_new(3)
