ICONV_OPEN(3POSIX)

🦋 PROLOG 🦋

okay bestie, quick heads up before we dive in: this manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. The Linux implementation of this interface may differ (so like, go check the corresponding Linux manual page for the deets on Linux behavior), or honestly the interface may not be implemented on Linux at all. no cap. 💅

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✨ NAME ✨

iconv_open — codeset conversion allocation function

like... it's the girl who sets up the whole conversion situation for you 🎀

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

#include <iconv.h>

iconv_t iconv_open(const char *tocode, const char *fromcode);

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so the iconv_open() function shall return a conversion descriptor that describes a conversion from the codeset specified by the string pointed to by the fromcode argument to the codeset specified by the string pointed to by the tocode argument. it's giving matchmaker energy fr fr. 🫶

for state-dependent encodings, the conversion descriptor shall be in a codeset-dependent initial shift state, ready for immediate use with iconv().

Settings of fromcode and tocode and their permitted combinations are implementation-defined. so like, don't come for me, ask your system.

a conversion descriptor shall remain valid until it is closed by iconv_close() or an implicit close. she has a lifespan, okay? respect it. 😭

if a file descriptor is used to implement conversion descriptors, the FD_CLOEXEC flag shall be set; see <fcntl.h>. periodt. 🔥

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👑 RETURN VALUE 👑

upon successful completion, iconv_open() shall return a conversion descriptor for use on subsequent calls to iconv(). slay. ✨

otherwise, iconv_open() shall return (iconv_t)-1 and set errno to indicate the error. not the vibe, but that's the deal. 💀

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💅 ERRORS 💅

the iconv_open() function may fail if:

• EMFILE — all file descriptors available to the process are currently open. bestie has too many tabs open, metaphorically.
• ENFILE — too many files are currently open in the system. the whole system is overwhelmed, relatable honestly.
• ENOMEM — insufficient storage space is available. no room, no thoughts, head empty. 🙈
• EINVAL — the conversion specified by fromcode and tocode is not supported by the implementation. it's giving "we don't do that here."

the following sections are informative. iyktyk. ⭐

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🍓 EXAMPLES 🍓

None.

literally none. nothing. empty. the void. 🕳️

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🌈 APPLICATION USAGE 🌈

some implementations of iconv_open() use malloc() to allocate space for internal buffer areas. so iconv_open() may fail if there is insufficient storage space to accommodate these buffers. she needs her lil space to breathe. 🌸

conforming applications must assume that conversion descriptors are not valid after a call to one of the exec functions. like, she's gone after that. don't text her. 😭

application developers should consult the system documentation to determine the supported codesets and their naming schemes. do your research bestie, the naming schemes are a whole thing. 🧚

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🎀 RATIONALE 🎀

None.

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💜 FUTURE DIRECTIONS 💜

None.

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• iconv()
• iconv_close()

The Base Definitions volume of POSIX.1‐2017, <fcntl.h>, <iconv.h>

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⭐ COPYRIGHT ⭐

portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form from IEEE Std 1003.1-2017, Standard for Information Technology -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 7, 2018 Edition, Copyright (C) 2018 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. in the event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard is the referee document. (she's the main character, she decides. 👑) The original Standard can be obtained online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .

any typographical or formatting errors that appear in this page are most likely to have been introduced during the conversion of the source files to man page format. to report such errors, see https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/reporting_bugs.html .

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and that's the whole thing, bestie 🫶 this page came to you courtesy of IEEE/The Open Group, 2017 — ICONV_OPEN(3POSIX), that's the girl, periodt 💖✨