1BN_CTX_new(3)                       OpenSSL                      BN_CTX_new(3)
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NAME

6       BN_CTX_new, BN_CTX_init, BN_CTX_free - allocate and free BN_CTX struc‐
7       tures
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SYNOPSIS

10        #include <openssl/bn.h>
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12        BN_CTX *BN_CTX_new(void);
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14        void BN_CTX_init(BN_CTX *c);
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16        void BN_CTX_free(BN_CTX *c);
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DESCRIPTION

19       A BN_CTX is a structure that holds BIGNUM temporary variables used by
20       library functions. Since dynamic memory allocation to create BIGNUMs is
21       rather expensive when used in conjunction with repeated subroutine
22       calls, the BN_CTX structure is used.
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24       BN_CTX_new() allocates and initializes a BN_CTX structure.
25       BN_CTX_init() initializes an existing uninitialized BN_CTX.
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27       BN_CTX_free() frees the components of the BN_CTX, and if it was created
28       by BN_CTX_new(), also the structure itself.  If BN_CTX_start(3) has
29       been used on the BN_CTX, BN_CTX_end(3) must be called before the BN_CTX
30       may be freed by BN_CTX_free().
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RETURN VALUES

33       BN_CTX_new() returns a pointer to the BN_CTX. If the allocation fails,
34       it returns NULL and sets an error code that can be obtained by
35       ERR_get_error(3).
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37       BN_CTX_init() and BN_CTX_free() have no return values.
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SEE ALSO

40       bn(3), ERR_get_error(3), BN_add(3), BN_CTX_start(3)
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HISTORY

43       BN_CTX_new() and BN_CTX_free() are available in all versions on SSLeay
44       and OpenSSL. BN_CTX_init() was added in SSLeay 0.9.1b.
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480.9.8b                            2002-09-25                     BN_CTX_new(3)