NAME

getenv − return value for environment name

SYNOPSIS

#include <stdlib.h>

char ∗getenv(const char ∗name);

MT-LEVEL

Safe

DESCRIPTION

getenv() searches the environment list (see environ(5)) for a string of the form name=value and, if the string is present, returns a pointer to the value in the current environment. 

RETURN VALUES

If successful, getenv() returns a pointer to the value in the current environment; otherwise, it returns a null pointer. 

SEE ALSO

exec(2), putenv(3C), environ(5)

NOTES

getenv() can be safely called from a multi-thread program.  However, care must still be taken when using getenv() and putenv(3C) in a multi-thread program.  These routines examine and modify the environment list.  This list is shared by all threads in a program.  The system prevents the list from being accessed simultaneously by two different threads.  However, it does not prevent two threads from successively accessing the environment list using getenv() or putenv(3C). 

SunOS 5.5  —  Last change: 4 May 1994