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 .

IEEE/The Open Group                                   2003                                             CALLOC(P)