FMEMOPEN(3)

NAME
fmemopen - open a stream that points to a memory buffer

LIBRARY
libc

SYNOPSIS
#include <stdio.h>
FILE *
fmemopen(void *restrict buffer, size_t size, const char *restrict mode);

DESCRIPTION
The fmemopen() function associates a stream with the given buffer and size. The buffer can be either NULL, or must be of the given size. If the buffer is NULL, a buffer of the given size will be dynamically allocated using malloc(3) and freed when fclose(3) is called.

The mode argument has the same meaning as in fopen(3).

The stream treats the buffer as it would treat a file tracking the current position to perform I/O operations. For example, in the beginning the stream points to the beginning of the buffer, unless a was specified in the mode argument, and then it points to the first NUL byte. If a NULL buffer was specified, then the stream will always point at the first byte of the buffer.

The stream also keeps track of the size of the buffer. The size is initialized depending on the mode:

r/r+
    Set to the size argument.

w/w+
    Set to 0.

a/a+
    Set to the first NUL byte, or the size argument if one is not found.

Read or write operations advance the buffer, but not to exceed the given size of the buffer. Trying to read beyond the size of the buffer results in EOF returned. NUL bytes are read normally. Trying to write beyond the size of the buffer has no effect.

When a stream open for writing is either flushed or closed, a NUL byte is written at the current position or at the end of the current size as kept internally, if there is room.

RETURN VALUES
Upon successful completion, fmemopen() returns a FILE pointer. Otherwise, NULL is returned and the global variable errno is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS

[EINVAL]
    The size was 0; or the mode argument is invalid; or the buffer argument is NULL and the mode argument does not specify a +.

The fmemopen() function may also fail and set errno for any of the errors specified for the routine malloc(3).

SEE ALSO
fclose(3), fflush(3), fopen(3), malloc(3)

STANDARDS
The fmemopen() function conforms to p1003.1-2008.

HISTORY
The fmemopen() function first appeared in NetBSD 6.0.