WCSTOMBS

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 fIdestfP is not a NULL pointer, the fBwcstombsfP function converts the wide-character string fIsrcfP to a multibyte string starting at fIdestfP. At most fInfP bytes are written to fIdestfP. 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 fIdestfP is returned, but the shift state at this point is lost.

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

The programmer must ensure that there is room for at least fInfP bytes at fIdestfP.

If fIdestfP is NULL, fInfP 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 fInfP is greater or equal to fIwcstombs(NULL,src,0)+1fP.

RETURN VALUE

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

CONFORMING TO

ISO/ANSI C, UNIX98

NOTES

The behaviour of fBwcstombsfP depends on the LC_CTYPE category of the current locale.

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