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MBLEN(3)                                BSD Library Functions Manual                                MBLEN(3)

NAME
     mblen, mblen_l -- get number of bytes in a character

LIBRARY
     Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

SYNOPSIS
     #include <stdlib.h>

     int
     mblen(const char *s, size_t n);

     #include <stdlib.h>
     #include <xlocale.h>

     int
     mblen_l(const char *s, size_t n, locale_t loc);

DESCRIPTION
     The mblen() function computes the length, in bytes, of a multibyte character s, according to the cur-rent current
     rent conversion state.  Up to n bytes are examined.

     A call with a null s pointer returns nonzero if the current locale requires shift states, zero other-wise. otherwise.
     wise.  If shift states are required, the shift state is reset to the initial state.

     Although the mblen() function uses the current locale, the mblen_l() function may be passed a locale
     directly. See xlocale(3) for more information.

RETURN VALUES
     If s is NULL, the mblen() function returns nonzero if shift states are supported, zero otherwise.

     Otherwise, if s is not a null pointer, mblen() either returns 0 if s represents the null wide charac-ter, character,
     ter, or returns the number of bytes processed in s, or returns -1 if no multibyte character could be
     recognized or converted.  In this case, mblen()'s internal conversion state is undefined.

ERRORS
     The mblen() function will fail if:

     [EILSEQ]           An invalid multibyte sequence was detected.

     [EINVAL]           The internal conversion state is not valid.

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

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

BSD                                            April 11, 2004                                            BSD