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size_t(3type) size_t(3type)

NAME

size_t, ssize_t - count of bytes

LIBRARY

Standard C library (libc)

SYNOPSIS

#include <stddef.h>
typedef /* ... */  size_t;
#include <sys/types.h>
typedef /* ... */  ssize_t;

DESCRIPTION

Used for a count of bytes. It is the result of the sizeof() operator. It is an unsigned integer type capable of storing values in the range [0, SIZE_MAX].
Used for a count of bytes or an error indication. It is a signed integer type capable of storing values at least in the range [-1, SSIZE_MAX].

Use with printf(3) and scanf(3)

The length modifier for size_t for the printf(3) and the scanf(3) families of functions is z, resulting commonly in %zu or %zx for printing size_t values.
glibc and most other implementations provide a length modifier for ssize_t for the printf(3) and the scanf(3) families of functions, which is z; resulting commonly in %zd or %zi for printing ssize_t values. Although z works for ssize_t on most implementations, portable POSIX programs should avoid using it—for example, by converting the value to intmax_t and using its length modifier (j).

STANDARDS

C11, POSIX.1-2008.
POSIX.1-2008.

HISTORY

C89, POSIX.1-2001.
POSIX.1-2001.

<aio.h>, <glob.h>, <grp.h>, <iconv.h>, <mqueue.h>, <pwd.h>, <signal.h>, and <sys/socket.h> define size_t since POSIX.1-2008.

<aio.h>, <mqueue.h>, and <sys/socket.h> define ssize_t since POSIX.1-2008.

NOTES

The following headers also provide size_t: <aio.h>, <glob.h>, <grp.h>, <iconv.h>, <monetary.h>, <mqueue.h>, <ndbm.h>, <pwd.h>, <regex.h>, <search.h>, <signal.h>, <stdio.h>, <stdlib.h>, <string.h>, <strings.h>, <sys/mman.h>, <sys/msg.h>, <sys/sem.h>, <sys/shm.h>, <sys/socket.h>, <sys/types.h>, <sys/uio.h>, <time.h>, <unistd.h>, <wchar.h>, and <wordexp.h>.
The following headers also provide ssize_t: <aio.h>, <monetary.h>, <mqueue.h>, <stdio.h>, <sys/msg.h>, <sys/socket.h>, <sys/uio.h>, and <unistd.h>.

SEE ALSO

read(2), readlink(2), readv(2), recv(2), send(2), write(2), fread(3), fwrite(3), memcmp(3), memcpy(3), memset(3), offsetof(3), ptrdiff_t(3type)

2024-05-02 Linux man-pages (unreleased)