MEMSET(3POSIX)

📦 version 2017a, in debian bookworm, debian trixie, ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

✨ MEMSET(3POSIX) ✨

okay bestie, welcome to the POSIX Programmer's Manual 💖 this lil page lives in the MEMSET(3POSIX) slot and it's giving "set bytes in memory," which sounds boring but is actually iconic.

🌸 PROLOG 🌸

so like, real talk: this manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. the Linux implementation of this interface may differ — so bestie, consult the corresponding Linux manual page for the deets on Linux behavior — or, plot twist, the interface may not be implemented on Linux at all. 🙈 no cap.

👑 NAME 👑

memset — set bytes in memory. that's the whole vibe. 💅

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

#include <string.h>

void *memset(void *s, int c, size_t n);

look at that signature. gorgeous. no notes. ⭐

🌈 DESCRIPTION 🌈

the functionality described on this reference page is aligned with the ISO C standard. any conflict between the requirements described here and the ISO C standard is unintentional — like, nobody's trying to start drama. this volume of POSIX.1‐2017 defers to the ISO C standard, periodt.

the memset() function shall copy c (converted to an unsigned char) into each of the first n bytes of the object pointed to by s.

that's it. that's the function. it takes your c, casts it to an unsigned char, and smears it across the first n bytes of whatever s points at. chef's kiss. 🔥

💜 RETURN VALUE 💜

the memset() function shall return s. yep, it hands you back the same pointer you gave it — main character energy.

and listen: no return value is reserved to indicate an error. so don't go checking for one, bestie. it's not there. 😭

🎀 ERRORS 🎀

no errors are defined. like, none. zero. the error list is empty and honestly? we love that for it. 🫶

the following sections are informative. (iykyk — informative means "vibes only, not requirements")

🌸 EXAMPLES 🌸

none. 💀 sorry bestie, the examples section is empty.

✨ APPLICATION USAGE ✨

none. also empty. we're on a roll here.

💅 RATIONALE 💅

none. (the rationale section said nothing and left. iconic behavior.)

⭐ FUTURE DIRECTIONS ⭐

none. the future is unclear but memset stays unbothered. 🧚

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

  • The Base Definitions volume of POSIX.1‐2017, <string.h> — go read it, it's where this whole thing lives.

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. (so like, if there's a fight, the original wins. not us. 🙈)

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 .

and that's the whole page, bestie!! 🎀 this one came to you courtesy of IEEE/The Open Group, 2017 — mwah, slay, go forth and memset responsibly 💖✨

📦 where this page comes from