ICONV(3)						     Linux Programmer's Manual							  ICONV(3)

NAME

       iconv - perform character set conversion

SYNOPSIS

       #include <iconv.h>

       size_t iconv (iconv_t cd,
		     const char* * inbuf, size_t * inbytesleft,
		     char* * outbuf, size_t * outbytesleft);

DESCRIPTION

       The argument cd must be a conversion descriptor created using the function iconv_open.

       The  main case is when inbuf is not NULL and *inbuf is not NULL.  In this case, the iconv function converts the multibyte sequence starting
       at *inbuf to a multibyte sequence starting at *outbuf.  At most *inbytesleft bytes, starting at	*inbuf,  will  be  read.   At  most  *out-
       bytesleft bytes, starting at *outbuf, will be written.

       The  iconv  function  converts  one  multibyte  character  at a time, and for each character conversion it increments *inbuf and decrements
       *inbytesleft by the number of converted input bytes, it increments *outbuf and decrements *outbytesleft by the number of  converted  output
       bytes, and it updates the conversion state contained in cd.  The conversion can stop for four reasons:

       1. An invalid multibyte sequence is encountered in the input. In this case it sets errno to EILSEQ and returns (size_t)(-1). *inbuf is left
       pointing to the beginning of the invalid multibyte sequence.

       2. The input byte sequence has been entirely converted, i.e. *inbytesleft has gone down to 0. In this case iconv returns the number of non-
       reversible conversions performed during this call.

       3.  An  incomplete  multibyte  sequence	is encountered in the input, and the input byte sequence terminates after it. In this case it sets
       errno to EINVAL and returns (size_t)(-1). *inbuf is left pointing to the beginning of the incomplete multibyte sequence.

       4. The output buffer has no more room for the next converted character. In this case it sets errno to E2BIG and returns (size_t)(-1).

       A different case is when inbuf is NULL or *inbuf is NULL, but outbuf is not NULL and *outbuf is not NULL. In this case, the iconv  function
       attempts  to  set  cd's	conversion  state to the initial state and store a corresponding shift sequence at *outbuf.  At most *outbytesleft
       bytes, starting at *outbuf, will be written.  If the output buffer has no more room for this reset sequence, it sets  errno  to	E2BIG  and
       returns (size_t)(-1). Otherwise it increments *outbuf and decrements *outbytesleft by the number of bytes written.

       A  third  case  is  when inbuf is NULL or *inbuf is NULL, and outbuf is NULL or *outbuf is NULL. In this case, the iconv function sets cd's
       conversion state to the initial state.

RETURN VALUE

       The iconv function returns the number of characters converted in a non-reversible way during this  call;  reversible  conversions  are  not
       counted.  In case of error, it sets errno and returns (size_t)(-1).

ERRORS

       The following errors can occur, among others:

       E2BIG  There is not sufficient room at *outbuf.

       EILSEQ An invalid multibyte sequence has been encountered in the input.

       EINVAL An incomplete multibyte sequence has been encountered in the input.

CONFORMING TO

       UNIX98

SEE ALSO

       iconv_open(3), iconvctl(3), iconv_close(3)

GNU
								 February 2, 2004							  ICONV(3)