1MALLOC(P)                  POSIX Programmer's Manual                 MALLOC(P)
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NAME

6       malloc - a memory allocator
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SYNOPSIS

9       #include <stdlib.h>
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11       void *malloc(size_t size);
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DESCRIPTION

15       The  malloc()  function shall allocate unused space for an object whose
16       size in bytes is specified by size and whose value is unspecified.
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18       The order and contiguity of storage allocated by  successive  calls  to
19       malloc()  is  unspecified.  The pointer returned if the allocation suc‐
20       ceeds shall be suitably aligned so that it may be assigned to a pointer
21       to  any  type  of  object and then used to access such an object in the
22       space allocated (until the space is explicitly freed  or  reallocated).
23       Each  such  allocation shall yield a pointer to an object disjoint from
24       any other object. The pointer returned points to the start (lowest byte
25       address)  of  the  allocated space. If the space cannot be allocated, a
26       null pointer shall be returned. If the size of the space  requested  is
27       0,  the behavior is implementation-defined: the value returned shall be
28       either a null pointer or a unique pointer.
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RETURN VALUE

31       Upon successful completion with size not equal  to  0,  malloc()  shall
32       return  a  pointer  to the allocated space. If size is 0, either a null
33       pointer or a unique pointer that can be successfully passed  to  free()
34       shall be returned. Otherwise, it shall return a null pointer    and set
35       errno to indicate the error.
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ERRORS

38       The malloc() function shall fail if:
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40       ENOMEM Insufficient storage space is available.
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43       The following sections are informative.
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EXAMPLES

46       None.
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APPLICATION USAGE

49       None.
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RATIONALE

52       None.
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FUTURE DIRECTIONS

55       None.
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SEE ALSO

58       calloc() ,  free()  ,  realloc()  ,  the  Base  Definitions  volume  of
59       IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, <stdlib.h>
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62       Portions  of  this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form
63       from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition, Standard for Information Technology
64       --  Portable  Operating  System  Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base
65       Specifications Issue 6, Copyright (C) 2001-2003  by  the  Institute  of
66       Electrical  and  Electronics  Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. In the
67       event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and
68       The  Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard
69       is the referee document. The original Standard can be  obtained  online
70       at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .
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74IEEE/The Open Group                  2003                            MALLOC(P)
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