h = iptc_init(tablename);
  if (!h)
    exit_error(OTHER_PROBLEM, "Can't initialize: %s\n",iptc_strerror(errno));

/*
 * How to use libiptc- program #1
 * /usr/local/src/p1.c
 */

#include <getopt.h>
#include <sys/errno.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <dlfcn.h>
#include <time.h>
#include "libiptc/libiptc.h"
#include "iptables.h"

int main(void)
{
  iptc_handle_t h;
  const char *chain = NULL;
  const char *tablename = "filter";

  program_name = "p1";
  program_version = NETFILTER_VERSION;

  h = iptc_init(tablename);
  if ( !h )   {
     printf("Error initializing: %s\n", iptc_strerror(errno));
    exit(errno);
  }

  for (chain = iptc_first_chain(&h); chain; chain = iptc_next_chain(&h))  {
    printf("%s\n", chain);
  }

  exit(0);

} /* main */

#!/bin/bash

gcc -Wall -Wunused -DNETFILTER_VERSION=\"1.2.6\" -rdynamic -o $1 $1.c \
/usr/local/lib/iptables.o /usr/local/lib/libiptc.a -ldl

bash# ./ipt-cc p1

bash# ./p1

INPUT
FORWARD
OUTPUT

bash# iptables -N chain_1
bash# iptables -N chain_2
bash# ./p1

INPUT
FORWARD
OUTPUT
chain_1
chain_2

Error initializing: Table does not exist (do you need to insmod?)

/* Internet address. */
struct in_addr {
  __u32  s_addr;
};

/* Yes, Virginia, you have to zero the padding. */
struct ipt_ip {
  /* Source and destination IP addr */
  struct in_addr src, dst;
  /* Mask for src and dest IP addr */
  struct in_addr smsk, dmsk;
  char iniface[IFNAMSIZ], outiface[IFNAMSIZ];
  unsigned char iniface_mask[IFNAMSIZ], outiface_mask[IFNAMSIZ];

  /* Protocol, 0 = ANY */
  u_int16_t proto;

  /* Flags word */
  u_int8_t flags;
  /* Inverse flags */
  u_int8_t invflags;
};

struct ipt_counters
{
  u_int64_t pcnt, bcnt;      /* Packet and byte counters */
};

/* This structure defines each of the firewall rules.  Consists of 3
   parts which are 1) general IP header stuff 2) match specific
   stuff 3) the target to perform if the rule matches */
struct ipt_entry
{
  struct ipt_ip ip;

  /* Mark with fields that we care about. */
  unsigned int nfcache;

  /* Size of ipt_entry + matches */
  u_int16_t target_offset;
  /* Size of ipt_entry + matches + target */
  u_int16_t next_offset;

  /* Back pointer */
  unsigned int comefrom;

  /* Packet and byte counters. */
  struct ipt_counters counters;

  /* The matches (if any), then the target. */
  unsigned char elems[0];
};

/* 
 * How to use libiptc- program #2
 * /usr/local/src/p1.c
 */

#include <getopt.h>
#include <sys/errno.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <dlfcn.h>
#include <time.h>
#include "libiptc/libiptc.h"
#include "iptables.h"

/* Here begins some of the code taken from iptables-save.c **************** */
#define IP_PARTS_NATIVE(n)      \
(unsigned int)((n)>>24)&0xFF,   \
(unsigned int)((n)>>16)&0xFF,   \
(unsigned int)((n)>>8)&0xFF,    \
(unsigned int)((n)&0xFF)

#define IP_PARTS(n) IP_PARTS_NATIVE(ntohl(n))

/* This assumes that mask is contiguous, and byte-bounded. */
static void
print_iface(char letter, const char *iface, const unsigned char *mask,
      int invert)
{
  unsigned int i;

  if (mask[0] == 0)
    return;

  printf("-%c %s", letter, invert ? "! " : "");

  for (i = 0; i < IFNAMSIZ; i++) {
    if (mask[i] != 0) {
      if (iface[i] != '\0')
        printf("%c", iface[i]);
    } else {
      /* we can access iface[i-1] here, because 
       * a few lines above we make sure that mask[0] != 0 */
      if (iface[i-1] != '\0')
        printf("+");
      break;
    }
  }

  printf(" ");
}

/* These are hardcoded backups in iptables.c, so they are safe */
struct pprot {
  char *name;
  u_int8_t num;
};

/* FIXME: why don't we use /etc/protocols ? */
static const struct pprot chain_protos[] = {
  { "tcp", IPPROTO_TCP },
  { "udp", IPPROTO_UDP },
  { "icmp", IPPROTO_ICMP },
  { "esp", IPPROTO_ESP },
  { "ah", IPPROTO_AH },
};

static void print_proto(u_int16_t proto, int invert)
{
  if (proto) {
    unsigned int i;
    const char *invertstr = invert ? "! " : "";

    for (i = 0; i < sizeof(chain_protos)/sizeof(struct pprot); i++)
      if (chain_protos[i].num == proto) {
        printf("-p %s%s ",
               invertstr, chain_protos[i].name);
        return;
      }

    printf("-p %s%u ", invertstr, proto);
  }
}

static int print_match(const struct ipt_entry_match *e,
      const struct ipt_ip *ip)
{
  struct iptables_match *match
    = find_match(e->u.user.name, TRY_LOAD);

  if (match) {
    printf("-m %s ", e->u.user.name);

    /* some matches don't provide a save function */
    if (match->save)
      match->save(ip, e);
  } else {
    if (e->u.match_size) {
      fprintf(stderr,
        "Can't find library for match `%s'\n",
        e->u.user.name);
      exit(1);
    }
  }
  return 0;
}

/* print a given ip including mask if neccessary */
static void print_ip(char *prefix, u_int32_t ip, u_int32_t mask, int invert)
{
  if (!mask && !ip)
    return;

  printf("%s %s%u.%u.%u.%u",
    prefix,
    invert ? "! " : "",
    IP_PARTS(ip));

  if (mask != 0xffffffff) 
    printf("/%u.%u.%u.%u ", IP_PARTS(mask));
  else
    printf(" ");
}

/* We want this to be readable, so only print out neccessary fields.
 * Because that's the kind of world I want to live in.  */
static void print_rule(const struct ipt_entry *e, 
    iptc_handle_t *h, const char *chain, int counters)
{
  struct ipt_entry_target *t;
  const char *target_name;

  /* print counters */
  if (counters)
    printf("[%llu:%llu] ", e->counters.pcnt, e->counters.bcnt);

  /* print chain name */
  printf("-A %s ", chain);

  /* Print IP part. */
  print_ip("-s", e->ip.src.s_addr,e->ip.smsk.s_addr,
      e->ip.invflags & IPT_INV_SRCIP);  

  print_ip("-d", e->ip.dst.s_addr, e->ip.dmsk.s_addr,
      e->ip.invflags & IPT_INV_DSTIP);

  print_iface('i', e->ip.iniface, e->ip.iniface_mask,
        e->ip.invflags & IPT_INV_VIA_IN);

  print_iface('o', e->ip.outiface, e->ip.outiface_mask,
        e->ip.invflags & IPT_INV_VIA_OUT);

  print_proto(e->ip.proto, e->ip.invflags & IPT_INV_PROTO);

  if (e->ip.flags & IPT_F_FRAG)
    printf("%s-f ",
           e->ip.invflags & IPT_INV_FRAG ? "! " : "");

  /* Print matchinfo part */
  if (e->target_offset) {
    IPT_MATCH_ITERATE(e, print_match, &e->ip);
  }

  /* Print target name */  
  target_name = iptc_get_target(e, h);
  if (target_name && (*target_name != '\0'))
    printf("-j %s ", target_name);

  /* Print targinfo part */
  t = ipt_get_target((struct ipt_entry *)e);
  if (t->u.user.name[0]) {
    struct iptables_target *target
      = find_target(t->u.user.name, TRY_LOAD);

    if (!target) {
      fprintf(stderr, "Can't find library for target `%s'\n",
        t->u.user.name);
      exit(1);
    }

    if (target->save)
      target->save(&e->ip, t);
    else {
      /* If the target size is greater than ipt_entry_target
       * there is something to be saved, we just don't know
       * how to print it */
      if (t->u.target_size != 
          sizeof(struct ipt_entry_target)) {
        fprintf(stderr, "Target `%s' is missing "
            "save function\n",
          t->u.user.name);
        exit(1);
      }
    }
  }
  printf("\n");
}
/* Here ends some of the code taken from iptables-save.c ****************** */

int main(void)
{
  iptc_handle_t h;
  const struct ipt_entry *e;
  const char *chain = NULL;
  const char *tablename = "filter";
  const int counters = 1;

  program_name = "p2";
  program_version = NETFILTER_VERSION;

  /* initialize */
  h = iptc_init(tablename);
  if ( !h )   {
     printf("Error initializing: %s\n", iptc_strerror(errno));
    exit(errno);
  }

  /* print chains and their rules */
  for (chain = iptc_first_chain(&h); chain; chain = iptc_next_chain(&h))  {
    printf("%s\n", chain);
    for (e = iptc_first_rule(chain, &h); e; e = iptc_next_rule(e, &h))  {
      print_rule(e, &h, chain, counters);
    }
  }

  exit(0);

} /* main */

bash# ./ipt-cc p2
bash# ./p2

INPUT
FORWARD
OUTPUT
chain_1
chain_2

bash# iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -i eth0 -s ! 192.168.1.1 --dport 20 -j ACCEPT
bash# iptables -A chain_1 -p udp -o eth1 -s 192.168.2.0/24 --sport 33 -j DROP

INPUT
[0:0] -A INPUT -s ! 192.168.1.1 -i eth0 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 20 -j ACCEPT
FORWARD
OUTPUT
chain_1
[0:0] -A chain_1 -s 192.168.2.0/255.255.255.0 -o eth1 -p udp -m udp --sport 33 -j DROP
chain_2

/* 
 * How to use libiptc- program #3
 * /usr/local/src/p3.c
 */

#include <getopt.h>
#include <sys/errno.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <dlfcn.h>
#include <time.h>
#include "libiptc/libiptc.h"
#include "iptables.h"

int main(void)
{
  iptc_handle_t h;
  const char *chain = NULL;
  const char *policy = NULL;
  const char *tablename = "filter";
  struct ipt_counters counters;

  program_name = "p3";
  program_version = NETFILTER_VERSION;

  /* initialize */
  h = iptc_init(tablename);
  if ( !h )   {
     printf("Error initializing: %s\n", iptc_strerror(errno));
    exit(errno);
  }

  /* print built-in chains, their policies and counters */
  printf("BUILT-IN   POLICY  PKTS-BYTES\n");
  printf("-----------------------------\n");
  for (chain = iptc_first_chain(&h); chain; chain = iptc_next_chain(&h))  {
    if ( !iptc_builtin(chain, h) )
      continue;
    if ( (policy = iptc_get_policy(chain, &counters, &h)) )
      printf("%-10s %-10s [%llu:%llu]\n", 
             chain, policy, counters.pcnt, counters.bcnt);
  }

  exit(0);

} /* main */

bash# ./ipt-cc p3
bash# ./p3

BUILT-IN  POLICY  PKTS-BYTES
----------------------------
INPUT     ACCEPT     [0:0]
FORWARD   ACCEPT     [0:0]
OUTPUT    ACCEPT     [0:0]