SETBUFFER(3C) Standard C Library Functions SETBUFFER(3C)

NAME

setbuffer, setlinebuf - assign buffering to a stream

SYNOPSIS

#include <stdio.h>

void setbuffer(FILE *iop, char *abuf, size_t asize);


int setlinebuf(FILE *iop);

DESCRIPTION

The setbuffer() and setlinebuf() functions assign buffering to a stream.
The three types of buffering available are unbuffered, block buffered,
and line buffered. When an output stream is unbuffered, information
appears on the destination file or terminal as soon as written; when it
is block buffered, many characters are saved and written as a block; when
it is line buffered, characters are saved until either a NEWLINE is
encountered or input is read from stdin. The fflush(3C) function may be
used to force the block out early. Normally all files are block buffered.
A buffer is obtained from malloc(3C) upon the first getc(3C) or putc(3C)
performed on the file. If the standard stream stdout refers to a
terminal, it is line buffered. The standard stream stderr is unbuffered
by default.


The setbuffer() function can be used after a stream iop has been opened
but before it is read or written. It uses the character array abuf whose
size is determined by the asize argument instead of an automatically
allocated buffer. If abuf is the null pointer, input/output will be
completely unbuffered. A manifest constant BUFSIZ, defined in the
<stdio.h> header, tells how large an array is needed:


char buf[BUFSIZ];


The setlinebuf() function is used to change the buffering on a stream
from block buffered or unbuffered to line buffered. Unlike setbuffer(),
it can be used at any time that the stream iop is active.


A stream can be changed from unbuffered or line buffered to block
buffered by using freopen(3C). A stream can be changed from block
buffered or line buffered to unbuffered by using freopen(3C) followed by
setbuf(3C) with a buffer argument of NULL.

RETURN VALUES

The setlinebuf() function returns no useful value.

SEE ALSO

fclose(3C), fopen(3C), fread(3C), getc(3C), malloc(3C), printf(3C),
putc(3C), puts(3C), setbuf(3C), setvbuf(3C)

NOTES

A common source of error is allocating buffer space as an "automatic"
variable in a code block, and then failing to close the stream in the
same block.


May 13, 1997 SETBUFFER(3C)