@@ -203,6 +203,26 @@ rte_kvargs_free(struct rte_kvargs *kvlist)
 	free(kvlist);
 }
 
+/* Lookup a value in an rte_kvargs list by its key. */
+const char *
+rte_kvargs_get(const struct rte_kvargs *kvlist, const char *key)
+{
+	unsigned int i;
+
+	if (!kvlist)
+		return NULL;
+	for (i = 0; i < kvlist->count; ++i) {
+		/* Allows key to be NULL. */
+		if (!key && !kvlist->pairs[i].key)
+			return kvlist->pairs[i].value;
+		if (!key || !kvlist->pairs[i].key)
+			continue;
+		if (!strcmp(kvlist->pairs[i].key, key))
+			return kvlist->pairs[i].value;
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 /*
  * Parse the arguments "key=value,key=value,..." string and return
  * an allocated structure that contains a key/value list. Also

@@ -114,6 +114,27 @@ struct rte_kvargs *rte_kvargs_parse_delim(const char *args,
  */
 void rte_kvargs_free(struct rte_kvargs *kvlist);
 
+/**
+ * Get the value associated with a given key.
+ *
+ * If the key is NULL, the first value from the list is returned.
+ * If multiple key matches, the value of the first one is returned.
+ *
+ * The memory returned is allocated as part of the rte_kvargs structure,
+ * it must never be modified.
+ *
+ * @param kvlist
+ *   A list of rte_kvargs pair of 'key=value'.
+ * @param key
+ *   The matching key.
+
+ * @return
+ *   NULL if no key matches the input, a value associated with a matching
+ *   key otherwise.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+const char *rte_kvargs_get(const struct rte_kvargs *kvlist, const char *key);
+
 /**
  * Call a handler function for each key/value matching the key
  *

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ DPDK_21 {
 EXPERIMENTAL {
 	global:
 
+	rte_kvargs_get;
 	rte_kvargs_parse_delim;
 	rte_kvargs_strcmp;