iconv_open

ICONV_OPEN(3)		  Linux Programmer’s Manual		ICONV_OPEN(3)



NAME
       iconv_open - allocate descriptor for character set conversion

SYNOPSIS
       #include <iconv.h>

       iconv_t iconv_open(const char *tocode, const char *fromcode);

DESCRIPTION
       The iconv_open function allocates a conversion descriptor suitable for
       converting byte sequences from character encoding fromcode to  charac-
       ter encoding tocode.

       The  values permitted for fromcode and tocode and the supported combi-
       nations are system dependent. For the GNU  C  library,  the  permitted
       values are listed by the iconv --list command, and all combinations of
       the listed values are supported.

       The resulting conversion descriptor can be used with iconv any  number
       of times. It remains valid until deallocated using iconv_close.

       A  conversion  descriptor  contains a conversion state. After creation
       using iconv_open, the state is in the initial state. Using iconv modi-
       fies  the  descriptor’s conversion state. (This implies that a conver-
       sion descriptor can not be used in multiple  threads  simultaneously.)
       To  bring  the state back to the initial state, use iconv with NULL as
       inbuf argument.

RETURN VALUE
       The  iconv_open	function  returns  a  freshly  allocated   conversion
       descriptor. In case of error, it sets errno and returns (iconv_t)(-1).

ERRORS
       The following error can occur, among others:

       EINVAL The conversion from fromcode to tocode is not supported by  the
	      implementation.

CONFORMING TO
       UNIX98

SEE ALSO
       iconv(3), iconv_close(3), iconv(1)



GNU				  1999-11-27			ICONV_OPEN(3)