MBSTOWCS(3)              BSD Library Functions Manual              MBSTOWCS(3)

NAME
     mbstowcs, mbstowcsl -- convert a character string to a wide-character
     string

LIBRARY
     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS
     ##include <>

     sizet
     mbstowcs(wchart * restrict wcstring, const char * restrict mbstring,
         sizet nwchars);

     ##include <>

     sizet
     mbstowcsl(wchart * restrict wcstring, const char * restrict mbstring,
         sizet nwchars, localet loc);

DESCRIPTION
     The mbstowcs() function converts a multibyte character string mbstring
     beginning in the initial conversion state into a wide character string
     wcstring.  No more than nwchars wide characters are stored.  A terminat-
     ing null wide character is appended if there is room.

     While the mbstowcs() function uses the current locale, the mbstowcsl()
     function may be passed a locale directly. See xlocale(3) for more infor-
     mation.

RETURN VALUES
     The mbstowcs() function returns the number of wide characters converted,
     not counting any terminating null wide character, or -1 if an invalid
     multibyte character was encountered.

ERORS
     The mbstowcs() function will fail if:

     [EILSEQ]           An invalid multibyte sequence was detected.

     [EINVAL]           The conversion state is invalid.

SEE ALSO
     mbsrtowcs(3), mbtowc(3), multibyte(3), xlocale(3)

STANDARDS
     The mbstowcs() function conforms to ISO/IEC 9899:1999 (``ISO C99'').

BSD                              April 8, 2004                             BSD