DIRREAD(2) DIRREAD(2)
NAME
dirread - read from directory, hiding format
SYNOPSIS
int dirread(fildes, buffer, nbytes)
char *buffer;
DESCRIPTION
Dirread reads at most nbytes bytes of directory information
from the file pointer location in the directory associated
with fildes into memory at buffer. The information is con-
verted into a canonical form, independent of the format used
by the file system in which the directory resides.
Each canonicalized entry consists of a decimal ASCII inode
number, a tab character, a file name, and an ASCII NUL.
Buffer is filled with as many entries as will fit; the num-
ber of bytes used is returned. 0 is returned when there are
no more entries.
The file pointer is advanced by the number of bytes passed
over in the directory, not the number of bytes placed in
buffer. Ask lseek for the new pointer; don't try to compute
it.
SEE ALSO
open(2), read(2), directory(3), dir(5)
DIAGNOSTICS
EBADF, ENOSPC (buffer too small), ENOTDIR, EFAULT, EINVAL
BUGS
Not all file system types support dirread. The routines in
directory(3) know how to cope.
Seeking in directories is dangerous, because the contents
often change under foot.