1WCSTOMBS(3)                Linux Programmer's Manual               WCSTOMBS(3)
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NAME

6       wcstombs - convert a wide character string to a multibyte string
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SYNOPSIS

9       #include <stdlib.h>
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11       size_t wcstombs(char *dest, const wchar_t *src, size_t n);
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DESCRIPTION

14       If  dest  is  not  a NULL pointer, the wcstombs() function converts the
15       wide-character string src to a multibyte string starting  at  dest.  At
16       most  n bytes are written to dest. The conversion starts in the initial
17       state. The conversion can stop for three reasons:
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19       1. A wide character has been encountered that can not be represented as
20       a  multibyte  sequence  (according to the current locale). In this case
21       (size_t)(-1) is returned.
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23       2. The length limit forces a stop. In this case  the  number  of  bytes
24       written to dest is returned, but the shift state at this point is lost.
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26       3.  The  wide-character string has been completely converted, including
27       the terminating L'\0'. In this case the conversion ends in the  initial
28       state.   The number of bytes written to dest, excluding the terminating
29       '\0' byte, is returned.
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31       The programmer must ensure that there is room for at least n  bytes  at
32       dest.
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34       If  dest  is  NULL, n is ignored, and the conversion proceeds as above,
35       except that the converted bytes are not written out to memory, and that
36       no length limit exists.
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38       In  order  to avoid the case 2 above, the programmer should make sure n
39       is greater or equal to wcstombs(NULL,src,0)+1.
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RETURN VALUE

42       The wcstombs() function returns the number of bytes that  make  up  the
43       converted  part  of  multibyte  sequence, not including the terminating
44       null byte.  If a wide character was encountered which could not be con‐
45       verted, (size_t)(-1) is returned.
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CONFORMING TO

48       C99.
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SEE ALSO

51       wcsrtombs(3)
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NOTES

54       The  behaviour  of  wcstombs()  depends on the LC_CTYPE category of the
55       current locale.
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57       The function wcsrtombs() provides a thread safe interface to  the  same
58       functionality.
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62GNU                               1999-07-25                       WCSTOMBS(3)