TOUCH(3)

🎀 touch(3) 🎀

okay so this is the Library Functions Manual page for touch, and no cap, it's giving "set file access and modify times" with a lil side of chaos. let's get into it 💖

✨ NAME ✨

touch — set file access and modify times

🌟 SYNOPSIS 🌟

#include <ast.h>

int touch(const char* path, time_t atime, time_t mtime, int force);

💫 DESCRIPTION 💫

touch sets the access and modify times of the file named by path. simple enough, bestie.

• force != 0 — then the file is created if it doesn't exist. slay, new file energy 🔥
• otherwise — the file is not created, and -1 is returned. sad little return value 😭

and now the time behavior, because this is where it gets spicy:

• force < 0 — atime and mtime are taken verbatim. like, exactly what you passed, no notes, periodt.
• otherwise — (time_t)(-1) retains the current value for the file, and (time_t)(0) uses the current time. iconic sentinel behavior, fr fr ✨

⚠️ CAVEATS ⚠️

By default the change time is always changed to the current time. highkey important: even when you're just setting access/modify times, the change time gets updated to now. no cap 🫶

signing off from the Library Functions Manual — version/page TOUCH(3), no date shown on this lil footer, but the vibe is immaculate 💅✨