DESCRIPTION

Perl's source code should use the above functions instead of those defined in ANSI C's stdio.h. The perl headers will #define them to the I/O mechanism selected at Configure time.

The functions are modeled on those in stdio.h, but parameter order has been ``tidied up a little''.

PerlIO *

This takes the place of FILE *. Like FILE * it should be treated as opaque (it is probably safe to assume it is a pointer to something).

PerlIO_stdin(), PerlIO_stdout(), PerlIO_stderr()

Use these rather than stdin, stdout, stderr. They are written to look like ``function calls'' rather than variables because this makes it easier to make them function calls if platform cannot export data to loaded modules, or if (say) different ``threads'' might have different values.

PerlIO_open(path, mode), PerlIO_fdopen(fd,mode)

These correspond to fopen()/fdopen() arguments are the same.

PerlIO_printf(f,fmt,...), PerlIO_vprintf(f,fmt,a)

These are fprintf()/vfprintf() equivalents.

PerlIO_stdoutf(fmt,...)

This is printf() equivalent. printf is #defined to this function, so it is (currently) legal to use printf(fmt,...) in perl sources.

PerlIO_read(f,buf,count), PerlIO_write(f,buf,count)

These correspond to fread() and fwrite(). Note that arguments are different, there is only one ``count'' and order has ``file'' first.

PerlIO_close(f)
PerlIO_puts(f,s), PerlIO_putc(f,c)

These correspond to fputs() and fputc(). Note that arguments have been revised to have ``file'' first.

PerlIO_ungetc(f,c)

This corresponds to ungetc(). Note that arguments have been revised to have ``file'' first.

PerlIO_getc(f)

This corresponds to getc().

PerlIO_eof(f)

This corresponds to feof().

PerlIO_error(f)

This corresponds to ferror().

PerlIO_fileno(f)

This corresponds to fileno(), note that on some platforms, the meaning of ``fileno'' may not match Unix.

PerlIO_clearerr(f)

This corresponds to clearerr(), i.e., clears 'eof' and 'error' flags for the ``stream''.

PerlIO_flush(f)

This corresponds to fflush().

PerlIO_tell(f)

This corresponds to ftell().

PerlIO_seek(f,o,w)

This corresponds to fseek().

PerlIO_getpos(f,p), PerlIO_setpos(f,p)

These correspond to fgetpos() and fsetpos(). If platform does not have the stdio calls then they are implemented in terms of PerlIO_tell() and PerlIO_seek().

PerlIO_rewind(f)

This corresponds to rewind(). Note may be redefined in terms of PerlIO_seek() at some point.

PerlIO_tmpfile()

This corresponds to tmpfile(), i.e., returns an anonymous PerlIO which will automatically be deleted when closed.