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() allocates 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.



0.9.8d                            2004-03-05                         BN_new(3)