man strcpy () - copy a string

NAME

strcpy - copy a string

SYNOPSIS

#include <string.h>

char *strcpy(char *restrict s1, const char *restrict s2);

DESCRIPTION

The strcpy() function shall copy the string pointed to by s2 (including the terminating null byte) into the array pointed to by s1. If copying takes place between objects that overlap, the behavior is undefined.

RETURN VALUE

The strcpy() function shall return s1; no return value is reserved to indicate an error.

ERRORS

No errors are defined.

The following sections are informative.

EXAMPLES

Initializing a String

The following example copies the string "----------" into the permstring variable. 

#include <string.h>
...
static char permstring[11];
...
strcpy(permstring, "----------");
...



Storing a Key and Data

The following example allocates space for a key using malloc()
then uses
strcpy() to place the key there. Then it allocates space for
data using malloc(), and uses strcpy() to place data there.
(The user-defined function
dbfree() frees memory previously allocated to an array of type
struct element *.)


#include <string.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>
...
/* Structure used to read data and store it. */
struct element {
    char *key;
    char *data;
};


struct element *tbl, *curtbl;
char *key, *data;
int count;
...
void dbfree(struct element *, int);
...
if ((curtbl->key = malloc(strlen(key) + 1)) == NULL) {
    perror("malloc"); dbfree(tbl, count); return NULL;
}
strcpy(curtbl->key, key);


if ((curtbl->data = malloc(strlen(data) + 1)) == NULL) {
    perror("malloc"); free(curtbl->key); dbfree(tbl, count); return NULL;
}
strcpy(curtbl->data, data);
...



APPLICATION USAGE

Character movement is performed differently in different implementations.
Thus, overlapping moves may yield surprises.


This issue is aligned with the ISO C standard; this does not affect
compatibility with XPG3 applications. Reliable error
detection by this function was never guaranteed.

RATIONALE

None.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

None.

SEE ALSO

strncpy() , the Base Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001,
<string.h>

COPYRIGHT
Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form
from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition, Standard for Information Technology
-- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base
Specifications Issue 6, Copyright (C) 2001-2003 by the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. In the
event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and
The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard
is the referee document. The original Standard can be obtained online at
http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .