The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 7
IEEE Std 1003.1-2008, 2016 Edition
Copyright © 2001-2016 The IEEE and The Open Group

#### NAME

> fileno - map a stream pointer to a file descriptor

#### SYNOPSIS

> ``[CX] #include <stdio.h>
> int fileno(FILE *`stream`);``
> `
> `

#### DESCRIPTION

> The fileno() function shall return the integer file descriptor associated with the stream pointed to by stream.

#### RETURN VALUE

> Upon successful completion, fileno() shall return the integer value of the file descriptor associated with stream. Otherwise, the value -1 shall be returned and errno set to indicate the error.

#### ERRORS

> The fileno() function shall fail if:

> [EBADF]
>   The stream is not associated with a file.

> The fileno() function may fail if:

> [EBADF]
>   The file descriptor underlying stream is not a valid file descriptor.

The following sections are informative.

#### EXAMPLES

> None.

#### APPLICATION USAGE

> None.

#### RATIONALE

> Without some specification of which file descriptors are associated with these streams, it is impossible for an application to set up the streams for another application it starts with fork() and exec. In particular, it would not be possible to write a portable version of the sh command interpreter (although there may be other constraints that would prevent that portability).

#### FUTURE DIRECTIONS

> None.

#### SEE ALSO

> Interaction of File Descriptors and Standard I/O Streams, dirfd, fdopen, fopen, stdin

> XBD <stdio.h>

#### CHANGE HISTORY

> First released in Issue 1. Derived from Issue 1 of the SVID.

#### Issue 6

> The following new requirements on POSIX implementations derive from alignment with the Single UNIX Specification:

> - The [EBADF] optional error condition is added.

#### Issue 7

> SD5-XBD-ERN-99 is applied, changing the definition of the [EBADF] error.

> POSIX.1-2008, Technical Corrigendum 2, XSH/TC2-2008/0115 [589] is applied.

End of informative text.

return to top of page

UNIX ® is a registered Trademark of The Open Group.
POSIX ® is a registered Trademark of The IEEE.
Copyright © 2001-2016 The IEEE and The Open Group, All Rights Reserved
[ Main Index | XBD | XSH | XCU | XRAT ]