NAME

       wcstombs - convert a wide-character string to a multibyte string

SYNOPSIS

       #include <stdlib.h>

       size_t wcstombs(char *dest, const wchar_t *src, size_t n);

DESCRIPTION

       If  dest  is  not  a  NULL  pointer,  the wcstombs() function converts the wide-character string src to a
       multibyte string starting at dest.  At most n bytes are written to dest.  The conversion  starts  in  the
       initial state.  The conversion can stop for three reasons:

       1.  A  wide character has been encountered that can not be represented as a multibyte sequence (according
       to the current locale).  In this case (size_t) -1 is returned.

       2. The length limit forces a stop.  In this case the number of bytes written to dest is returned, but the
       shift state at this point is lost.

       3. The wide-character string has been completely converted, including the terminating null wide character
       (L'\0').  In this case the conversion ends in the initial state.  The number of bytes  written  to  dest,
       excluding the terminating null byte ('\0'), is returned.

       The programmer must ensure that there is room for at least n bytes at dest.

       If  dest is NULL, n is ignored, and the conversion proceeds as above, except that the converted bytes are
       not written out to memory, and that no length limit exists.

       In order to avoid the case  2  above,  the  programmer  should  make  sure  n  is  greater  or  equal  to
       wcstombs(NULL,src,0)+1.

RETURN VALUE

       The  wcstombs()  function  returns  the  number  of  bytes  that  make up the converted part of multibyte
       sequence, not including the terminating null byte.  If a wide character was encountered which  could  not
       be converted, (size_t) -1 is returned.

CONFORMING TO

       C99.

NOTES

       The behavior of wcstombs() depends on the LC_CTYPE category of the current locale.

       The function wcsrtombs(3) provides a thread safe interface to the same functionality.

SEE ALSO

       mbstowcs(3), wcsrtombs(3)

COLOPHON

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