array_size(9)

💖 array_size(9) — the Kernel API Manual, bestie edition 💖

okay so real talk, this one lives in the Kernel API Manual (that's the 9 in array_size(9) — kernel docs, iykyk ✨) and it's honestly such a tiny little icon. let me put you on. 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

array_size — calculate the size of a 2-dimensional array. that's it. that's the whole job. and she ate. 💅

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🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

size_t array_size (size_t a , size_t b );

like literally two size_t args and it hands you back a size_t. no drama, no cap. 🌸

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🍓 ARGUMENTS 🍓

• a — dimension one 🥇 (the first one, bestie, the first dimension)
• b — dimension two 🥈 (the second one, yes it's that simple)

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💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

so here's the vibe: this function calculates the size of a 2-dimensional array. the math? absolutely iconic:

a * b

that's it. multiply dimension one by dimension two and you get the size. the way it just... multiplies. not me being obsessed with a multiplication. 😭✨

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🔥 RETURN 🔥

she returns the number of bytes needed to represent the array. 💖

⚠️ but watch out — on overflow she returns SIZE_MAX. so if you see SIZE_MAX come back, that's the overflow flag, not a flex. do with that what you will. 👑

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• the kernel file ./tools/include/linux/overflow.h (go read it, it's giving main character energy)
• size_mul(9)
• array3_size(9)
• struct_size(9)

they're all in the same friend group, fr fr. 🫶

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okay that's the whole page, bestie, and ngl you understood it first try. 🧚 this cutie came out of ./tools/include/linux, version dated October 2026 — and yes the header and the footer both say array_size(9) because she loves consistency. periodt. 💅🎀⭐