man3/cfree.3

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  24 .TH CFREE 3 2016-03-15  "" "Linux Programmer's Manual"
  25 .SH NAME
  26 cfree \- free allocated memory
  27 .SH SYNOPSIS
  28 .nf
  29 .sp
  30 .B "#include <stdlib.h>"
  31 .sp
  32 /* In SunOS 4 */
  33 .BI "int cfree(void *" ptr );
  34 .sp
  35 /* In glibc or FreeBSD libcompat */
  36 .BI "void cfree(void *" ptr );
  37 .sp
  38 /* In SCO OpenServer */
  39 .BI "void cfree(char *" ptr ", unsigned " num ", unsigned " size );
  40 .sp
  41 /* In Solaris watchmalloc.so.1 */
  42 .BI "void cfree(void *" ptr ", size_t " nelem ", size_t " elsize );
  43 .fi
  44 .sp
  45 .in -4n
  46 Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see
  47 .BR feature_test_macros (7)):
  48 .in
  49 .sp
  50 .BR cfree ():
  51     Since glibc 2.19:
  52         _DEFAULT_SOURCE
  53     Glibc 2.19 and earlier:
  54         _BSD_SOURCE || _SVID_SOURCE
  55 .SH DESCRIPTION
  56 This function should never be used.
  57 Use
  58 .BR free (3)
  59 instead.
  60 .SS 1-arg cfree
  61 In glibc, the function
  62 .BR cfree ()
  63 is a synonym for
  64 .BR free (3),
  65 "added for compatibility with SunOS".
  66 .LP
  67 Other systems have other functions with this name.
  68 The declaration is sometimes in
  69 .I <stdlib.h>
  70 and sometimes in
  71 .IR <malloc.h> .
  72 .SS 3-arg cfree
  73 Some SCO and Solaris versions have malloc libraries with a 3-argument
  74 .BR cfree (),
  75 apparently as an analog to
  76 .BR calloc (3).
  77 .LP
  78 If you need it while porting something, add
  79 .sp
  80 .in +4n
  81 #define cfree(p, n, s) free((p))
  82 .in
  83 .sp
  84 to your file.
  85 .LP
  86 A frequently asked question is "Can I use
  87 .BR free (3)
  88 to free memory allocated with
  89 .BR calloc (3),
  90 or do I need
  91 .BR cfree ()?"
  92 Answer: use
  93 .BR free (3).
  94 .LP
  95 An SCO manual writes: "The cfree routine is provided for compliance
  96 to the iBCSe2 standard and simply calls free.
  97 The num and size
  98 arguments to cfree are not used."
  99 .SH RETURN VALUE
 100 The SunOS version of
 101 .BR cfree ()
 102 (which is a synonym for
 103 .BR free (3))
 104 returns 1 on success and 0 on failure.
 105 In case of error,
 106 .I errno
 107 is set to
 108 .BR EINVAL :
 109 the value of
 110 .I ptr
 111 was not a pointer to a block previously allocated by
 112 one of the routines in the
 113 .BR malloc (3)
 114 family.
 115 .SH ATTRIBUTES
 116 For an explanation of the terms used in this section, see
 117 .BR attributes (7).
 118 .TS
 119 allbox;
 120 lb lb lb
 121 l l l.
 122 Interface       Attribute       Value
 123 T{
 124 .BR cfree ()
 125 T}      Thread safety   MT-Safe /* In glibc */
 126 .TE
 127 .SH CONFORMING TO
 128 The 3-argument version of
 129 .BR cfree ()
 130 as used by SCO conforms to the iBCSe2 standard:
 131 Intel386 Binary Compatibility Specification, Edition 2.
 132 .SH SEE ALSO
 133 .BR malloc (3)