.de s .sp .5v .. .de sr .ft I .ne 2 \\$1 .if t .sp .2 .br .ft R .. .de it \fI\\$1\fR .. .TL A New Input-Output Package .AU D. M. Ritchie .AI .MH .PP A new package of IO routines is available. It was designed with the following goals in mind. .IP 1. It should be similar in spirit to the earlier Portable Library, and, to the extent possible, be compatible with it. At the same time a few dubious design choices in the Portable Library will be corrected. .IP 2. It must be as efficient as possible, both in time and in space, so that there will be no hesitation in using it no matter how critical the application. .IP 3. It must be simple to use, and also free of the magic numbers and mysterious calls the use of which mars the understandability and portability of many programs using older packages. .IP 4. The interface provided should be applicable on all machines, whether or not the programs which implement it are directly portable to other systems, or to machines other than the PDP11 running a version of Unix. .PP It is intended that this package replace the Portable Library. Although it is not directly compatible, as discussed below, it is sufficiently similar that modifying programs to use it should be a simple exercise. .PP The most crucial difference between this package and the Portable Library is that the current offering names streams in terms of pointers rather than by the integers known as `file descriptors.' Thus, for example, the routine which opens a named file returns a pointer to a certain structure rather than a number; the routine which reads an open file takes as an argument the pointer returned from the open call. .SH General Usage .PP Each program using the library must have the line .DS #include .DE which defines certain macros and variables. The library containing the routines is `/usr/lib/libS.a,' so the command to compile is .DS cc . . . \-lS .DE All names in the include file intended only for internal use begin with an underscore `\_' to reduce the possibility of collision with a user name. The names intended to be visible outside the package are .IP stdin 10 The name of the standard input file .IP stdout 10 The name of the standard output file .IP stderr 10 The name of the standard error file .IP EOF 10 is actually \-1, and is the value returned by the read routines on end-of-file or error. .IP NULL 10 is a notation for the null pointer, returned by pointer-valued functions to indicate an error .IP FILE 10 expands to `struct \_iob' and is a useful shorthand when declaring pointers to streams. .IP BUFSIZ is a number (viz. 512) of the size suitable for an IO buffer supplied by the user. See .it setbuf, below. .IP "getc, getchar, putc, putchar, feof, ferror, fileno" 10 .br are defined as macros. Their actions are described below; they are mentioned here to point out that it is not possible to redeclare them and that they are not actually functions; thus, for example, they may not have breakpoints set on them. .PP The routines in this package, like the Portable Library, offer the convenience of automatic buffer allocation and output flushing where appropriate. Absent, however, is the facility of changing the default input and output streams by assigning to `cin' and `cout.' The names `stdin,' stdout,' and `stderr' are in effect constants and may not be assigned to. .SH Calls .PP The routines in the library are in nearly one-to-one correspondence with those in the Portable Library. In several cases the name has been changed. This is an attempt to reduce confusion. .s .sr "FILE *fopen(filename, type) char *filename, *type" .it Fopen opens the file and, if needed, allocates a buffer for it. .it Filename is a character string specifying the name. .it Type is a character string (not a single character). It may be `"r",' `"w",' or `"a"' to indicate intent to read, write, or append. The value returned is a file pointer. If it is NULL the attempt to open failed. .s .sr "FILE *freopen(filename, type, ioptr) char *filename, *type; FILE *ioptr The stream named by .it ioptr is closed, if necessary, and then reopened as if by .it fopen. If the attempt to open fails, NULL is returned, otherwise .it ioptr, which will now refer to the new file. Often the reopened stream is .it stdin or .it stdout. .s .sr "int getc(ioptr) FILE *ioptr returns the next character from the stream named by .it ioptr, which is a pointer to a file such as returned by .it fopen, or the name .it stdin. The integer EOF is returned on end-of-file or when an error occurs. The null character \(aa\e0\(aa is a legal character. .s .sr "int fgetc(ioptr) FILE *ioptr acts like .it getc but is a genuine function, not a macro. .s .sr "putc(c, ioptr) FILE *ioptr .it Putc writes the character .it c on the output stream named by .it ioptr, which is a value returned from .it fopen or perhaps .it stdout or .it stderr. The character is returned as value, but EOF is returned on error. .s .sr "fputc(c, ioptr) FILE *ioptr .it Fputc acts like .it putc but is a genuine function, not a macro. .s .sr "fclose(ioptr) FILE *ioptr The file corresponding to .it ioptr is closed after any buffers are emptied. A buffer allocated by the IO system is freed. .it Fclose is automatic on normal termination of the program. .s .sr "fflush(ioptr) FILE *ioptr Any buffered information on the (output) stream named by .it ioptr is written out. Output files are normally buffered if and only if they are not directed to the terminal, but .it stderr is unbuffered unless .it setbuf is used. .s .sr exit(errcode) .it Exit terminates the process and returns its argument as status to the parent. This is a special version of the routine which calls .it fflush for each output file. To terminate without flushing, use .it \_exit. .s .sr "feof(ioptr) FILE *ioptr returns non-zero when end-of-file has occurred on the specified input stream. .s .sr "ferror(ioptr) FILE *ioptr returns non-zero when an error has occurred while reading or writing the named stream. The error indication lasts until the file has been closed. .s .sr "getchar( )" is identical to .it "getc(stdin). .s .sr "putchar(c)" is identical to .it "putc(c, stdout). .s .sr "char *gets(s) char *s reads characters up to a new-line from the standard input. The new-line character is replaced by a null character. It is the user's responsibility to make sure that the character array .it s is large enough. .it Gets returns its argument, or NULL if end-of-file or error occurred. Note that this routine is not compatible with .it fgets; it is included for downward compatibility. .s .sr "char *fgets(s, n, ioptr) char *s; FILE *ioptr reads up to .it n characters from the stream .it ioptr into the character pointer .it s. The read terminates with a new-line character. The new-line character is placed in the buffer followed by a null character. The first argument, or NULL if error or end-of-file occurred, is returned. .s .sr "puts(s) char *s writes the null-terminated string (character array) .it s on the standard output. A new-line is appended. No value is returned. Note that this routine is not compatible with .it fputs; it is included for downward compatibility. .s .sr "*fputs(s, ioptr) char *s; FILE *ioptr writes the null-terminated string (character array) .it s on the stream .it ioptr. No new-line is appended. No value is returned. .s .sr "ungetc(c, ioptr) FILE *ioptr The argument character .it c is pushed back on the input stream named by .it ioptr. Only one character may be pushed back. .s .sr "printf(format, a1, . . .) char *format .sr "fprintf(ioptr, format, a1, . . .) FILE *ioptr; char *format .sr "sprintf(s, format, a1, . . .)char *s, *format .it Printf writes on the standard output. .it Fprintf writes on the named output stream. .it Sprintf puts characters in the character array (string) named by .it s. The specifications are as described in section .it "printf (III) of the Unix Programmer's Manual. There is a new conversion: .it %m.n\fB\|g\fI converts a double argument in the style of .it e or .it f as most appropriate. .s .sr "scanf(format, a1, . . .) char *format .sr "fscanf(ioptr, format, a1, . . .) FILE *ioptr; char *format .sr "sscanf(s, format, a1, . . .) char *s, *format .it Scanf reads from the standard input. .it Fscanf reads from the named input stream. .it Sscanf reads from the character string supplied as .it s. The specifications are identical to those of the Portable Library. .it Scanf reads characters, interprets them according to a format, and stores the results in its arguments. It expects as arguments a control string .it format, described below, and a set of arguments, .I each of which must be a pointer, .R indicating where the converted input should be stored. .PP The control string usually contains conversion specifications, which are used to direct interpretation of input sequences. The control string may contain: .IP 1. Blanks, tabs or newlines, which are ignored. .IP 2. Ordinary characters (not %) which are expected to match the next non-space character of the input stream (where space characters are defined as blank, tab or newline). .IP 3. Conversion specifications, consisting of the character %, an optional assignment suppressing character \**, an optional numerical maximum field width, and a conversion character. .PP A conversion specification is used to direct the conversion of the next input field; the result is placed in the variable pointed to by the corresponding argument, unless assignment suppression was indicated by the \** character. An input field is defined as a string of non-space characters; it extends either to the next space character or until the field width, if specified, is exhausted. .PP The conversion character indicates the interpretation of the input field; the corresponding pointer argument must usually be of a restricted type. The following conversion characters are legal: .IP % indicates that a single % character is expected in the input stream at this point; no assignment is done. .IP d indicates that a decimal integer is expected in the input stream; the corresponding argument should be an integer pointer. .IP o indicates that an octal integer is expected in the input stream; the corresponding argument should be a integer pointer. .IP x indicates that a hexadecimal integer is expected in the input stream; the corresponding argument should be an integer pointer. .ti -0.2i .IP s indicates that a character string is expected; the corresponding argument should be a character pointer pointing to an array of characters large enough to accept the string and a terminating `\e0', which will be added. The input field is terminated by a space character or a newline. .IP c indicates that a character is expected; the corresponding argument should be a character pointer; the next input character is placed at the indicated spot. The normal skip over space characters is suppressed in this case; to read the next non-space character, try .I %1s. .R If a field width is given, the corresponding argument should refer to a character array, and the indicated number of characters is read. .IP e (or .I f\|\fR) .R indicates that a floating point number is expected in the input stream; the next field is converted accordingly and stored through the corresponding argument, which should be a pointer to a .it float. The input format for floating point numbers is an optionally signed string of digits possibly containing a decimal point, followed by an optional exponent field beginning with an E or e followed by an optionally signed integer. .IP [ indicates a string not to be delimited by space characters. The left bracket is followed by a set of characters and a right bracket; the characters between the brackets define a set of characters making up the string. If the first character is not circumflex (\|^\|), the input field is all characters until the first character not in the set between the brackets; if the first character after the left bracket is ^, the input field is all characters until the first character which is in the remaining set of characters between the brackets. The corresponding argument must point to a character array. .PP The conversion characters .I d, o .R and .I x .R may be capitalized or preceded by .I l .R to indicate that a pointer to .I long .R rather than .I int .R is expected. Similarly, the conversion characters .I e .R or .I f .R may be capitalized or preceded by .I l .R to indicate that a pointer to .I double .R rather than .I float .R is in the argument list. The character .I h .R will function similarly in the future to indicate .I short .R data items. .PP For example, the call .DS int i; float x; char name[50]; scanf( "%d%f%s", &i, &x, name); .DE with the input line .DS 25 54.32E\(mi1 thompson .DE will assign to .it i the value 25, .it x the value 5.432, and .it name will contain .it ``thompson\e0''. Or, .DS int i; float x; char name[50]; scanf("%2d%f%\**d%[1234567890]", &i, &x, name); .DE with input .DS 56789 0123 56a72 .DE will assign 56 to .it i, 789.0 to .it x, skip ``0123'', and place the string ``56\e0'' in .it name. The next call to .it getchar will return `a'. .PP .it Scanf returns as its value the number of successfully matched and assigned input items. This can be used to decide how many input items were found. On end of file, EOF is returned; note that this is different from 0, which means that the next input character does not match what was called for in the control string. .s .sr "fread(ptr, sizeof(*ptr), nitems, ioptr) FILE *ioptr reads .it nitems of data beginning at .it ptr from file .it ioptr. It behaves identically to the Portable Library's .it cread. No advance notification that binary IO is being done is required; when, for portability reasons, it becomes required, it will be done by adding an additional character to the mode-string on the fopen call. .s .sr "fwrite(ptr, sizeof(*ptr), nitems, ioptr) FILE *ioptr Like .it fread, but in the other direction. .s .sr "rewind(ioptr) FILE *ioptr rewinds the stream named by .it ioptr. It is not very useful except on input, since a rewound output file is still open only for output. .s .sr "system(string) char *string The .it string is executed by the shell as if typed at the terminal. .s .sr "getw(ioptr) FILE *ioptr returns the next word from the input stream named by .it ioptr. EOF is returned on end-of-file or error, but since this a perfectly good integer .it feof and .it ferror should be used. .s .sr "putw(w, ioptr) FILE *ioptr writes the integer .it w on the named output stream. .s .sr "setbuf(ioptr, buf) FILE *ioptr; char *buf .it Setbuf may be used after a stream has been opened but before IO has started. If .it buf is NULL, the stream will be unbuffered. Otherwise the buffer supplied will be used. It is a character array of sufficient size: .DS char buf[BUFSIZ]; .DE .s .sr "fileno(ioptr) FILE *ioptr returns the integer file descriptor associated with the file. .s .sr "fseek(ioptr, offset, ptrname) FILE *ioptr; long offset The location of the next byte in the stream named by .it ioptr is adjusted. .it Offset is a long integer. If .it ptrname is 0, the offset is measured from the beginning of the file; if .it ptrname is 1, the offset is measured from the current read or write pointer; if .it ptrname is 2, the offset is measured from the end of the file. The routine accounts properly for any buffering. (When this routine is used on non-Unix systems, the offset must be a value returned from .it ftell and the ptrname must be 0). .s .sr "long ftell(ioptr) FILE *ioptr The byte offset, measured from the beginning of the file, associated with the named stream is returned. Any buffering is properly accounted for. (On non-Unix systems the value of this call is useful only for handing to .it fseek, so as to position the file to the same place it was when .it ftell was called.) .s .sr "getpw(uid, buf) char *buf The password file is searched for the given integer user ID. If an appropriate line is found, it is copied into the character array .it buf, and 0 is returned. If no line is found corresponding to the user ID then 1 is returned. .s .sr "char *calloc(num, size) allocates space for .it num items each of size .it size. The space is guaranteed to be set to 0 and the pointer is sufficiently well aligned to be usable for any purpose. NULL is returned if no space is available. .s .sr "cfree(ptr) char *ptr Space is returned to the pool used by .it calloc. Disorder can be expected if the pointer was not obtained from .it calloc. .LP The following are macros defined by stdio.h. .s .sr isalpha(c) returns non-zero if the argument is alphabetic. .s .sr isupper(c) returns non-zero if the argument is upper-case alphabetic. .s .sr islower(c) returns non-zero if the argument is lower-case alphabetic. .s .sr isdigit(c) returns non-zero if the argument is a digit. .s .sr isspace(c) returns non-zero if the argument is a spacing character: tab, new-line, carriage return, vertical tab, form feed, space. .s .sr toupper(c) returns the upper-case character corresponding to the lower-case letter c. .s .sr tolower(c) returns the lower-case character corresponding to the upper-case letter c.