FREAD
Section: Linux Programmer's Manual (3)
Updated: 17 May 1996
NAME
fread, fwrite - binary stream input/output
SYNOPSIS
#include <stdio.h>
size_t fread( void *ptr, size_t size, size_t nmemb,
FILE *stream);
size_t fwrite( const void *ptr, size_t size, size_t nmemb,
FILE *stream);
DESCRIPTION
The function
fread
reads
nmemb
elements of data, each
size
bytes long, from the stream pointed to by
stream,
storing them at the location given by
ptr.
The function
fwrite
writes
nmemb
elements of data, each
size
bytes long, to the stream pointed to by
stream,
obtaining them from the location given by
ptr.
RETURN VALUES
fread
and
fwrite
return the number of items successfully read or written (i.e., not the
number of characters). If an error occurs, or the end-of-file is
reached, the return value is a short item count (or zero).
fread
does not distinguish between end-of-file and error, and callers must use
feof(3)
and
ferror(3)
to determine which occurred.
SEE ALSO
feof(3), ferror(3), read(2), write(2)
STANDARDS
The functions
fread
and
fwrite
conform to ANSI C3.159-1989 (``ANSI C'').