SETBUF(3S) COMMAND REFERENCE SETBUF(3S)
NAME
setbuf, setbuffer, setlinebuf - assign buffering to a stream
SYNOPSIS
#include <stdio.h>
setbuf(stream, buf)
FILE *stream;
char *buf;
setbuffer(stream, buf, size)
FILE *stream;
char *buf;
int size;
setlinebuf(stream)
FILE *stream;
DESCRIPTION
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 up and written as a block; when it is
line buffered, characters are saved up until a newline is
encountered or input is read from stdin. Fflush (see
fclose(3s)) 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 or putc(3s) on the file.
If the standard stream stdout refers to a terminal, it is
line buffered. The standard stream stderr is always
unbuffered.
Setbuf is used after a stream has been opened but before it
is read or written. The character array buf is used instead
of an automatically allocated buffer. If buf is the
constant pointer NULL, input/output will be completely
unbuffered. A manifest constant BUFSIZ tells how big an
array is needed. For example:
char buf[BUFSIZ];
Setbuffer, an alternate form of setbuf, is used after a
stream has been opened but before it is read or written.
The character array buf whose size is determined by the size
argument is used instead of an automatically allocated
buffer. If buf is the constant pointer NULL, input/output
will be completely unbuffered.
Setlinebuf is used to change stdout or stderr from block
buffered or unbuffered to line buffered. Unlike setbuf and
setbuffer it can be used at any time that the file
Printed 3/13/89 1
SETBUF(3S) COMMAND REFERENCE SETBUF(3S)
descriptor is active.
A file can be changed from unbuffered or line buffered to
block buffered by using freopen (see fopen(3s)). A file can
be changed from block buffered or line buffered to
unbuffered by using freopen followed by setbuf with a buffer
argument of NULL.
CAVEATS
The standard error stream should be line buffered by
default.
The setbuffer and setlinebuf functions are portable to
4.2BSD systems only.
SEE ALSO
fopen(3s), getc(3s), putc(3s), malloc(3c), fclose(3s),
puts(3s), printf(3s), and fread(3s).
Printed 3/13/89 2
%%index%%
na:312,112;
sy:424,1714;
de:2138,2728;5250,557;
ca:5807,428;
se:6235,327;
%%index%%000000000107