PIPE(3P) POSIX Programmer's Manual PIPE(3P)PROLOG
This manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. The Linux
implementation of this interface may differ (consult the corresponding
Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior), or the interface may
not be implemented on Linux.
NAMEpipe - create an interprocess channel
SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
int pipe(int fildes[2]);
DESCRIPTION
The pipe() function shall create a pipe and place two file descriptors,
one each into the arguments fildes[0] and fildes[1], that refer to the
open file descriptions for the read and write ends of the pipe. Their
integer values shall be the two lowest available at the time of the
pipe() call. The O_NONBLOCK and FD_CLOEXEC flags shall be clear on both
file descriptors. (The fcntl() function can be used to set both these
flags.)
Data can be written to the file descriptor fildes[1] and read from the
file descriptor fildes[0]. A read on the file descriptor fildes[0]
shall access data written to the file descriptor fildes[1] on a first-
in-first-out basis. It is unspecified whether fildes[0] is also open
for writing and whether fildes[1] is also open for reading.
A process has the pipe open for reading (correspondingly writing) if it
has a file descriptor open that refers to the read end, fildes[0]
(write end, fildes[1]).
Upon successful completion, pipe() shall mark for update the st_atime,
st_ctime, and st_mtime fields of the pipe.
RETURN VALUE
Upon successful completion, 0 shall be returned; otherwise, -1 shall be
returned and errno set to indicate the error.
ERRORS
The pipe() function shall fail if:
EMFILE More than {OPEN_MAX} minus two file descriptors are already in
use by this process.
ENFILE The number of simultaneously open files in the system would
exceed a system-imposed limit.
The following sections are informative.
EXAMPLES
None.
APPLICATION USAGE
None.
RATIONALE
The wording carefully avoids using the verb "to open" in order to avoid
any implication of use of open(); see also write() .
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
None.
SEE ALSOfcntl(), read(), write(), the Base Definitions volume of
IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, <fcntl.h>, <unistd.h>
COPYRIGHT
Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form
from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition, Standard for Information Technology
-- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base
Specifications 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 PIPE(3P)
