NAME

       calloc - a memory allocator

SYNOPSIS

       #include <stdlib.h>

       void *calloc(size_t nelem, size_t elsize);

DESCRIPTION

       The  calloc()  function shall allocate unused space for an array of nelem elements each of
       whose size in bytes is elsize. The space shall be initialized to all bits 0.

       The order and  contiguity  of  storage  allocated  by  successive  calls  to  calloc()  is
       unspecified.  The pointer returned if the allocation succeeds shall be suitably aligned so
       that it may be assigned to a pointer to any type of object and then used to access such an
       object  or  an array of such objects in the space allocated (until the space is explicitly
       freed or reallocated). Each such allocation shall yield a pointer to  an  object  disjoint
       from any other object. The pointer returned shall point to the start (lowest byte address)
       of the allocated space. If the  space  cannot  be  allocated,  a  null  pointer  shall  be
       returned. If the size of the space requested is 0, the behavior is implementation-defined:
       the value returned shall be either a null pointer or a unique pointer.

RETURN VALUE

       Upon successful completion with both nelem and elsize non-zero, calloc()  shall  return  a
       pointer to the allocated space. If either nelem or elsize is 0, then either a null pointer
       or a unique pointer value that can be successfully passed to  free()  shall  be  returned.
       Otherwise, it shall return a null pointer    and set errno to indicate the error.

ERRORS

       The calloc() function shall fail if:

       ENOMEM Insufficient memory is available.

       The following sections are informative.

EXAMPLES

       None.

APPLICATION USAGE

       There is now no requirement for the implementation to support the inclusion of <malloc.h>.

RATIONALE

       None.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

       None.

SEE ALSO

       free()  ,  malloc()  ,  realloc()  ,  the Base Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001,
       <stdlib.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 .