curl_getenv(3)

💖 curl_getenv(3) — the libcurl manual, but make it make sense 💖

okay so bestie, you're reading the curl_getenv page from the libcurl manual (the Library Functions Manual, if we're being fancy ✨). sit down, hydrate, and let me tell you about it 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

curl_getenv — returns the value for an environment name 💅

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

#include <curl/curl.h>

char *curl_getenv(const char *name);

that's it. that's the whole call. she's simple, she's iconic 👑

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so curl_getenv() is basically a portable wrapper for the getenv() function — it's meant to emulate its behavior and provide an identical interface for all operating systems that libcurl builds on (yes, including Windows 🪟). it's giving "works everywhere, no drama" energy fr fr.

⚠️ important, bestie, do not skip this: you must curl_free(3) the returned string when you're done with it. and — even though its type doesn't constrain you — it may not be altered. like, look, don't touch. 🙈

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🦋 PROTOCOLS 🦋

this functionality affects all supported protocols. all of them. every single one. we love an inclusive queen 🌈

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⭐ EXAMPLE ⭐

int main(void)
{
  char *width = curl_getenv("COLUMNS");
  if(width) {
    /* it was set */
    curl_free(width);
  }
}

see that? grab COLUMNS, check if it's there, free it, done. clean. no notes. 🔥

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💜 AVAILABILITY 💜

added in curl 7.1 — she's an elder icon at this point, honestly 👑

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🧚 RETURN VALUE 🧚

a pointer to a null-terminated string — or NULL if it failed to find the specified name 😭 that's your vibe check: got a string? slay. got NULL? it wasn't there.

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💀 NOTE 💀

okay so this is the lowkey messy part 🙈 under Unix operating systems, there is genuinely no point in returning allocated memory — like, why would we — but other systems do not work properly if that isn't done. so the Unix implementation suffers slightly from the drawbacks of other systems. yes, we're all paying for Windows' choices. no cap. 💀

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🔍 SEE ALSO 🔍

• getenv(3C) — go read that too, bestie 📚

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okay that's the whole page!! written by libcurl, dated 2026-10-12, and now you know everything about curl_getenv 💖 go forth and curl_free your strings, i'm so proud of you 🫶✨🎀