bcmp(3)

🎀 bcmp — byte compare 🎀

okay bestie, pull up a chair, because we're talking about bcmp from the Library Functions Manual ✨ this is a libc situation, from the Standard C library (libc, -lc) — yes, that libc. the one your linker is always yelling about. 💅

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <strings.h>

[[deprecated]] int bcmp(size_t n;
                        const void s1[n], const void s2[n], size_t n);

yeah. she's deprecated. the [[deprecated]] is right there in the signature, loud and proud, like a girl showing up to the group chat with receipts. 😭

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so here's the tea: bcmp() is identical to memcmp(3). literally the same thing. same energy, same behavior, no notes.

and because of that, the move is: use memcmp(3) instead. that's it. that's the whole assignment. bcmp() is the older cousin who still shows up to the party, but everyone's already moved on to memcmp(3). no shade! just facts. 🦋

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🌈 STANDARDS 🌈

None.

not a single one. she's not in any standard, bestie. not one. vibe check: failed. 💀

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👑 HISTORY 👑

okay so the lore is actually kinda iconic:

• she comes from 4.3BSD — ancient. historic. founding mother behavior. 👑
• got marked as LEGACY in POSIX.1-2001 — like, "we still acknowledge her but don't @ us"
• and then in POSIX.1-2008 she was removed. gone. not invited back. 😭

so if you see bcmp() in the wild, just know you're looking at a fossil that somehow still compiles. respect the elders fr fr 🫶

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🌸 SEE ALSO 🌸

• memcmp(3) — the one you should actually be using, no cap

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⚠️ real talk: this function is deprecated, and the manpage literally says use memcmp(3) instead. don't start new code with bcmp(). i'm begging. 🙈

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and that's the whole page, babe 💜 this edition rode in with Linux man-pages 6.20, dated 2026-08-10 — so if you're reading this, know that the byte-compare drama is officially settled. slay, stay deprecated, and go call memcmp(3) instead. periodt. ✨💅🎀