Help Needed in sockets in C

[lionaneesh]

/*
** showip.c -- show IP addresses for a host given on the command line
*/

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/socket.h>
#include <netdb.h>
#include <arpa/inet.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    struct addrinfo hints, *res, *p;
    int status;
    char ipstr[INET6_ADDRSTRLEN];

    if (argc != 2) {
        fprintf(stderr,"usage: showip hostname\n");
        return 1;
    }

    memset(&hints, 0, sizeof hints);
    hints.ai_family = AF_UNSPEC; // AF_INET or AF_INET6 to force version
    hints.ai_socktype = SOCK_STREAM;

    if ((status = getaddrinfo(argv[1], NULL, &hints, &res)) != 0) {
        fprintf(stderr, "getaddrinfo: %s\n", gai_strerror(status));
        return 2;
    }

    printf("IP addresses for %s:\n\n", argv[1]);

    for(p = res;p != NULL; p = p->ai_next) {
        void *addr;
        char *ipver;

        // get the pointer to the address itself,
        // different fields in IPv4 and IPv6:
        if (p->ai_family == AF_INET) { // IPv4
            struct sockaddr_in *ipv4 = (struct sockaddr_in *)p->ai_addr;
            addr = &(ipv4->sin_addr);
            ipver = "IPv4";
        } else { // IPv6
            struct sockaddr_in6 *ipv6 = (struct sockaddr_in6 *)p->ai_addr;
            addr = &(ipv6->sin6_addr);
            ipver = "IPv6";
        }

        // convert the IP to a string and print it:
        inet_ntop(p->ai_family, addr, ipstr, sizeof ipstr);
        printf("  %s: %s\n", ipver, ipstr);
    }

    freeaddrinfo(res); // free the linked list

    return 0;
}

I am having problems to understand this program i know the function getaddrinfo(); and the structs but having problem with the linked list and the following loop:-

for(p = res;p != NULL; p = p->ai_next) {
        void *addr;
        char *ipver;

        // get the pointer to the address itself,
        // different fields in IPv4 and IPv6:
        if (p->ai_family == AF_INET) { // IPv4
            struct sockaddr_in *ipv4 = (struct sockaddr_in *)p->ai_addr;
            addr = &(ipv4->sin_addr);
            ipver = "IPv4";
        } else { // IPv6
            struct sockaddr_in6 *ipv6 = (struct sockaddr_in6 *)p->ai_addr;
            addr = &(ipv6->sin6_addr);
            ipver = "IPv6";
        }

questions:-

1. Why do we need this loop and what is the mechanism of this p->next etc.

2.please explain me the whole loop rely seeking for your help .

and i have a problem in understanding this function

inet_ntop

and this code how it works :-

inet_ntop(p->ai_family, addr, ipstr, sizeof ipstr);
        printf("  %s: %s\n", ipver, ipstr);

please guyz i am stuck at this topic and am reading
more and more tutorials but none of them help please help me.

Rely seeking your help.

[abhimanipal]

Is this code all there is or is there more to it

[jephthah]

what's the problem?

this function converts a numeric IP address into a "dotted decimal" string for human readability.

here's the specification:
http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/000095399/functions/inet_ntop.html

and here's a more user friendly reference:
http://beej.us/guide/bgnet/output/html/multipage/inet_ntopman.html