dlclose(3X)                                                     dlclose(3X)

NAME
     dlclose - close a shared object

SYNOPSIS
     cc [flag ...] file ... -ldl [library ...]

     #include <dlfcn.h>

     int dlclose(void *handle);

DESCRIPTION
     dlclose() disassociates a shared object previously opened by dlopen()
     from the current process. Once an object has been closed using
     dlclose(), its symbols are no longer available to dlsym(). All objects
     loaded automatically as a result of invoking dlopen() on the refer-
     enced object [see dlopen(3X)] are also closed. handle is the value
     returned by a previous invocation of dlopen().

RESULT
     If the referenced object was successfully closed, dlclose()returns 0.
     If the object could not be closed, or if handle does not refer to an
     open object, dlclose() returns a non-0 value. More detailed diagnostic
     information will be available through dlerror().

NOTES
     A successful invocation of dlclose() does not guarantee that the
     objects associated with handle will actually be removed from the
     address space of the process. Objects loaded by one invocation of dlo-
     pen() may also be loaded by another invocation of dlopen(). The same
     object may also be opened multiple times. An object will not be
     removed from the address space until all references to that object
     through an explicit dlopen() invocation have been closed and all other
     objects implicitly referencing that object have also been closed.

     Once an object has been closed by dlclose(), referencing symbols con-
     tained in that object can cause undefined behavior.

SEE ALSO
     dlerror(3X), dlopen(3X), dlsym(3X).
















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