wcstombs

WCSTOMBS(3)                Linux Programmer's Manual               WCSTOMBS(3)



NAME
       wcstombs - convert a wide character string to a multibyte string

SYNOPSIS
       #include <stdlib.h>

       size_t wcstombs(char *dest, const wchar_t *src, size_t n);

DESCRIPTION
       If dest is not a NULL pointer, the wcstombs function converts the wide-
       character string src to a multibyte string starting at dest. At most  n
       bytes  are written to dest. The conversion starts in the initial state.
       The conversion can stop for three reasons:

       1. A wide character has been encountered that can not be represented as
       a  multibyte  sequence  (according to the current locale). In this case
       (size_t)(-1) is returned.

       2. The length limit forces a stop. In this case  the  number  of  bytes
       written to dest is returned, but the shift state at this point is lost.

       3. The wide-character string has been completely  converted,  including
       the  terminating L'\0'. In this case the conversion ends in the initial
       state.  The number of bytes written to dest, excluding the  terminating
       '\0' byte, is returned.

       The  programmer  must ensure that there is room for at least n bytes at
       dest.

       If dest is NULL, n is ignored, and the conversion  proceeds  as  above,
       except that the converted bytes are not written out to memory, and that
       no length limit exists.

       In order to avoid the case 2 above, the programmer should make  sure  n
       is greater or equal to wcstombs(NULL,src,0)+1.

RETURN VALUE
       The wcstombs function returns the number of bytes that make up the con-
       verted part of multibyte sequence, not including the  terminating  null
       byte.   If  a  wide  character  was encountered which could not be con-
       verted, (size_t)(-1) is returned.

CONFORMING TO
       ISO/ANSI C, UNIX98

SEE ALSO
       wcsrtombs(3)

NOTES
       The behaviour of wcstombs depends on the LC_CTYPE category of the  cur-
       rent locale.

       The  function  wcsrtombs  provides  a thread safe interface to the same
       functionality.



GNU                               1999-07-25                       WCSTOMBS(3)