getc(3S) getc(3S)
NAME
getc, getchar, fgetc, getw - get character or word from a
stream
SYNOPSIS
#include <stdio.h>
int getc (stream)
FILE *stream;
int getchar ()
int fgetc (stream)
FILE *stream;
int getw (stream)
FILE *stream;
DESCRIPTION
getc returns the next character (i.e., byte) from the named
input stream, as an integer. It also moves the file
pointer, if defined, ahead one character in stream. getchar
is defined as getc(stdin). getc and getchar are macros.
fgetc behaves like getc, but is a function rather than a
macro. fgetc runs more slowly than getc, but takes less
space per invocation and its name can be passed as an
argument to a function.
getw returns the next word (32-bit integer on a 68000) from
the named input stream. getw increments the associated file
pointer, if defined, to point to the next word. getw
assumes no special alignment in the file.
SEE ALSO
fclose(3S), ferror(3S), fopen(3S), fread(3S), gets(3S),
putc(3S), scanf(3S), ungetc(3S).
DIAGNOSTICS
These functions return the constant EOF at end-of-file or
upon an error. Because EOF is a valid integer, ferror(3S)
should be used to detect getw errors.
WARNING
If the integer value returned by getc, getchar, or fgetc is
stored into a character variable and then compared against
the integer constant EOF, the comparison may never succeed,
because sign-extension of a character on widening to integer
is machine-dependent.
BUGS
Because it is implemented as a macro, getc treats
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getc(3S) getc(3S)
incorrectly a stream argument with side effects. In
particular, getc(*f++) does not work sensibly. fgetc should
be used instead.
Because of possible differences in word length and byte
ordering, files written using are machine-dependent, and may
not be read using on a different processor.
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