NAME

dirread − read directory

SYNOPSIS

int dirread(int fd, Dir ∗buf, long nbytes)

DESCRIPTION

The data returned by a read(2) on a directory is a set of complete directory entries in a machine-independent format, exactly equivalent to the result of a stat(2) on each file or subdirectory in the directory. ­Dirread decodes the directory entries into a machine-dependent form.  It reads from fd and unpacks the data into ­Dir structures in ­buf (see stat(2) for the layout of a Dir).  ­Nbytes is the size of buf; it should be a multiple of sizeof(Dir).  Directory entries have length ­DIRLEN (defined in <libc.h>) in machine-independent form.  A successful ­read of a directory always returns a multiple of DIRLEN; ­dirread always returns a multiple of sizeof(Dir). 

­Dirread returns the number of bytes filled in buf; the number returned may be less than the number requested.  The file offset is advanced by the number of bytes actually read. 

SEE ALSO

intro(2), open(2), read(2)

DIAGNOSTICS

Sets ­errstr. 

Plan 9  —  January 03, 1993