LSEEK(2)                  OpenBSD Programmer's Manual                 LSEEK(2)

NAME
     lseek - reposition read/write file offset



SYNOPSIS
     #include <unistd.h>

     off_t
     lseek(int fildes, off_t offset, int whence);

DESCRIPTION
     The lseek() function repositions the offset of the file descriptor fildes
     to the argument offset according to the directive whence. The argument
     fildes must be an open file descriptor.  lseek() repositions the file
     pointer fildes as follows:

           If whence is SEEK_SET, the offset is set to offset bytes.

           If whence is SEEK_CUR, the offset is set to its current location
           plus offset bytes.

           If whence is SEEK_END, the offset is set to the size of the file
           plus offset bytes.

     The lseek() function allows the file offset to be set beyond the end of
     the existing end-of-file of the file. If data is later written at this
     point, subsequent reads of the data in the gap return bytes of zeros (un-
     til data is actually written into the gap).

     Some devices are incapable of seeking.  The value of the pointer associ-
     ated with such a device is undefined.

RETURN VALUES
     Upon successful completion, lseek() returns the resulting offset location
     as measured in bytes from the beginning of the file.  Otherwise, a value
     of -1 is returned and errno is set to indicate the error.

ERRORS
     lseek() will fail and the file pointer will remain unchanged if:

     [EBADF]       Fildes is not an open file descriptor.

     [ESPIPE]      Fildes is associated with a pipe, socket, or FIFO.

     [EINVAL]      whence is not a proper value or the resulting offset would
                   be negative on a file system or special device that does
                   not allow negative offsets to be used.

SEE ALSO
     dup(2),  open(2)

BUGS
     This document's use of whence is incorrect English, but is maintained for
     historical reasons.

STANDARDS
     The lseek() function conforms to IEEE Std1003.1-1988 (``POSIX'').

OpenBSD 2.6                     April 19, 1994                               1