0p:stdarg.h
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stdarg.h - handle variable argument list
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SYNOPSIS
#include <stdarg.h>
void va_start(va_list ap, argN);
void va_copy(va_list dest, va_list src);
type va_arg(va_list ap, type);
void va_end(va_list ap);
DESCRIPTION
The <stdarg.h> header shall contain a set of macros which allows portable functions that accept variable argument
lists to be written. Functions that have variable argument lists (such as printf()) but do not use these macros
are inherently non-portable, as different systems use different argument-passing conventions.
The type va_list shall be defined for variables used to traverse the list.
The va_start() macro is invoked to initialize ap to the beginning of the list before any calls to va_arg().
The va_copy() macro initializes dest as a copy of src, as if the va_start() macro had been applied to dest fol-
lowed by the same sequence of uses of the va_arg() macro as had previously been used to reach the present state
of src. Neither the va_copy() nor va_start() macro shall be invoked to reinitialize dest without an intervening
invocation of the va_end() macro for the same dest.
The object ap may be passed as an argument to another function; if that function invokes the va_arg() macro with
parameter ap, the value of ap in the calling function is unspecified and shall be passed to the va_end() macro
prior to any further reference to ap. The parameter argN is the identifier of the rightmost parameter in the
variable parameter list in the function definition (the one just before the ...). If the parameter argN is
declared with the register storage class, with a function type or array type, or with a type that is not compati-
ble with the type that results after application of the default argument promotions, the behavior is undefined.
The va_arg() macro shall return the next argument in the list pointed to by ap. Each invocation of va_arg() modi-
fies ap so that the values of successive arguments are returned in turn. The type parameter shall be a type name
specified such that the type of a pointer to an object that has the specified type can be obtained simply by
postfixing a '*' to type. If there is no actual next argument, or if type is not compatible with the type of the
actual next argument (as promoted according to the default argument promotions), the behavior is undefined,
except for the following cases:
* One type is a signed integer type, the other type is the corresponding unsigned integer type, and the value is
representable in both types.
* One type is a pointer to void and the other is a pointer to a character type.
* Both types are pointers.
Different types can be mixed, but it is up to the routine to know what type of argument is expected.
The va_end() macro is used to clean up; it invalidates ap for use (unless va_start() or va_copy() is invoked
again).
Each invocation of the va_start() and va_copy() macros shall be matched by a corresponding invocation of the
va_end() macro in the same function.
Multiple traversals, each bracketed by va_start() ... va_end(), are possible.
EXAMPLES
This example is a possible implementation of execl():
#include <stdarg.h>
#define MAXARGS 31
/*
* execl is called by
* execl(file, arg1, arg2, ..., (char *)(0));
*/
int execl(const char *file, const char *args, ...)
{
va_list ap;
char *array[MAXARGS +1];
int argno = 0;
va_start(ap, args);
while (args != 0 && argno < MAXARGS)
{
array[argno++] = args;
args = va_arg(ap, const char *);
}
array[argno] = (char *) 0;
va_end(ap);
return execv(file, array);
}
The following sections are informative.
APPLICATION USAGE
It is up to the calling routine to communicate to the called routine how many arguments there are, since it is
not always possible for the called routine to determine this in any other way. For example, execl() is passed a
null pointer to signal the end of the list. The printf() function can tell how many arguments are there by the
format argument.
RATIONALE
None.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
None.
RELATED
The System Interfaces volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, exec, printf()
COPYRIGHT
Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition, Stan-
dard for Information Technology -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base Specifica-
tions Issue 6, Copyright (C) 2001-2003 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. The original Standard can be obtained
online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .
IEEE/The Open Group 2003 <stdarg.h>(P)