1STRSEP(3)                  Library Functions Manual                  STRSEP(3)
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NAME

6       strsep - separate strings
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SYNOPSIS

9       #include <string.h>
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11       char *
12       strsep(stringp, delim)
13       char **stringp;
14       char *delim;
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DESCRIPTION

17       The  strsep()  function locates, in the string referenced by *stringp ,
18       the first occurrence of any character in the string delim (or the  ter‐
19       minating  `\0' character) and replaces it with a `\0'.  The location of
20       the next character after the delimiter character (or NULL, if  the  end
21       of  the string was reached) is stored in *stringp .  The original value
22       of *stringp is returned.
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24       An ``empty'' field, i.e. one caused by two adjacent  delimiter  charac‐
25       ters,  can  be  detected  by  comparing  the location referenced by the
26       pointer returned in *stringp to `\0'.
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28       If *stringp is initially NULL, strsep() returns NULL.
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EXAMPLES

31       The following uses strsep() to parse a string, containing tokens delim‐
32       ited by white space, into an argument vector:
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34       char **ap, *argv[10], *inputstring;
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36       for (ap = argv; (*ap = strsep(&inputstring, " \t")) != NULL;)
37            if (**ap != '\0')
38                 ++ap;
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HISTORY

41       The  strsep()  function  is  intended as a replacement for the strtok()
42       function.  While the strtok() function should be preferred  for  porta‐
43       bility  reasons  (it conforms to ANSI C X3.159-1989 (``ANSI C'')) it is
44       unable to handle empty fields, i.e.  detect  fields  delimited  by  two
45       adjacent  delimiter  characters,  or  to be used for more than a single
46       string at a time.  The strsep() function first appeared in 4.4BSD.
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504.4 Berkeley Distribution      January 12, 1996                      STRSEP(3)