.\" Copyright (c) 2001-2003 The Open Group, All Rights Reserved 
.TH "STRCPY" 3P 2003 "IEEE/The Open Group" "POSIX Programmer's Manual"
.\" strcpy 
.SH PROLOG
This manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual.
The Linux implementation of this interface may differ (consult
the corresponding Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior),
or the interface may not be implemented on Linux.
.SH NAME
strcpy \- copy a string
.SH SYNOPSIS
.LP
\fB#include <string.h>
.br
.sp
char *strcpy(char *restrict\fP \fIs1\fP\fB, const char *restrict\fP
\fIs2\fP\fB);
.br
\fP
.SH DESCRIPTION
.LP
The \fIstrcpy\fP() function shall copy the string pointed to by \fIs2\fP
(including the terminating null byte) into the array
pointed to by \fIs1\fP. If copying takes place between objects that
overlap, the behavior is undefined.
.SH RETURN VALUE
.LP
The \fIstrcpy\fP() function shall return \fIs1\fP; no return value
is reserved to indicate an error.
.SH ERRORS
.LP
No errors are defined.
.LP
\fIThe following sections are informative.\fP
.SH EXAMPLES
.SS Initializing a String
.LP
The following example copies the string \fB"----------"\fP into the
\fIpermstring\fP variable.
.sp
.RS
.nf

\fB#include <string.h>
\&...
static char permstring[11];
\&...
strcpy(permstring, "----------");
\&...
\fP
.fi
.RE
.SS Storing a Key and Data
.LP
The following example allocates space for a key using \fImalloc\fP()
then uses
\fIstrcpy\fP() to place the key there. Then it allocates space for
data using \fImalloc\fP(), and uses \fIstrcpy\fP() to place data there.
(The user-defined function
\fIdbfree\fP() frees memory previously allocated to an array of type
\fBstruct element *\fP.)
.sp
.RS
.nf

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

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);
.sp

if ((curtbl->data = malloc(strlen(data) + 1)) == NULL) {
    perror("malloc"); free(curtbl->key); dbfree(tbl, count); return NULL;
}
strcpy(curtbl->data, data);
\&...
\fP
.fi
.RE
.SH APPLICATION USAGE
.LP
Character movement is performed differently in different implementations.
Thus, overlapping moves may yield surprises.
.LP
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.
.SH RATIONALE
.LP
None.
.SH FUTURE DIRECTIONS
.LP
None.
.SH SEE ALSO
.LP
\fIstrncpy\fP(), the Base Definitions volume of IEEE\ Std\ 1003.1-2001,
\fI<string.h>\fP
.SH 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 .