STRCPY(3) Library Functions Manual STRCPY(3)

stpcpy strcpy — copy a string and return a pointer to the end of the result

#include <string.h>

[CX] char *stpcpy(char *restrict s1, const char *restrict s2);
char *strcpy(char *restrict s1, const char *restrict s2);

For strcpy (): [CX] The functionality described on this reference page is aligned with the ISO C standard. Any conflict between the requirements described here and the ISO C standard is unintentional. This volume of POSIX.1-2017 defers to the ISO C standard.

The [CX] stpcpy () and strcpy () functions shall copy the string pointed to by (including the terminating NUL character) into the array pointed to by s1.

If copying takes place between objects that overlap, the behavior is undefined.

[CX] The stpcpy () function shall return a pointer to the terminating NUL character copied into the s1 buffer.

The strcpy () function shall return s1.

No return values are reserved to indicate an error.

No errors are defined.

#include <string.h>
#include <stdio.h>


int
main (void)
{
    char buffer [10];
    char *name = buffer;


    name = stpcpy (stpcpy (stpcpy (name, "ice"),"-"), "cream");
    puts (buffer);
    return 0;
}

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

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

The following example allocates space for a key using malloc(3) then uses strcpy () to place the key there. Then it allocates space for data using malloc(3), and uses strcpy () to place data there. (The user-defined function () 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);
...

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

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

None.

None.

strncpy(3), wcscpy(3)

XBD <string.h>

First released in Issue 1. Derived from Issue 1 of the SVID.

The strcpy () prototype is updated for alignment with the ISO/IEC 9899:1999 (“ISO C99”) standard.

The stpcpy () function is added from The Open Group Technical Standard, 2006, Extended API Set Part 1.

January 31, 2018 posix.fail