FTW(3) | Library Functions Manual | FTW(3)

# NAME

`ftw`, `nftw` — traverse (walk) a file tree

# SYNOPSIS

`#include <ftw.h>`

int
`ftw`(const char *path, int (*fn)(const char *, const struct stat *, int), int maxfds);

int
`nftw`(const char *path, int (*fn)(const char *, const struct stat *, int, struct FTW *), int maxfds, int flags);

# DESCRIPTION

These functions are provided for compatibility with legacy code. New code should use the fts_open(3) functions.

The `ftw`() and `nftw`() functions traverse (walk) the directory hierarchy rooted in path. For each object in the hierarchy, these functions call the function pointed to by fn. The `ftw`() function passes this function a pointer to a NUL-terminated string containing the name of the object, a pointer to a stat structure corresponding to the object, and an integer flag. The `nftw`() function passes the aforementioned arguments plus a pointer to a `FTW` structure as defined by `<ftw.h>` (shown below):

    struct FTW {
    	int base;  /* offset of basename into pathname */
    	int level; /* directory depth relative to starting point */
    };

Possible values for the flag passed to fn are:

`FTW_F`
  A regular file.
`FTW_D`
  A directory being visited in pre-order.
`FTW_DNR`
  A directory which cannot be read. The directory will not be descended into.
`FTW_DP`
  A directory being visited in post-order (`nftw`() only).
`FTW_NS`
  A file for which no stat(2) information was available. The contents of the stat structure are undefined.
`FTW_SL`
  A symbolic link.
`FTW_SLN`
  A symbolic link with a non-existent target (`nftw`() only).

The `ftw`() function traverses the tree in pre-order. That is, it processes the directory before the directory's contents.

The maxfds argument specifies the maximum number of file descriptors to keep open while traversing the tree. It has no effect in this implementation.

The `nftw`() function has an additional flags argument with the following possible values:

`FTW_PHYS`
  Physical walk: don't follow symbolic links.
`FTW_MOUNT`
  The walk will not cross a mount point.
FTW_DEPTH
  Process directories in post-order. Contents of a directory are visited before the directory itself. By default, `nftw`() traverses the tree in pre-order.
FTW_CHDIR
  Change to a directory before reading it. By default, `nftw`() will change its starting directory. The current working directory will be restored to its original value before `nftw`() returns.

# RETURN VALUES

If the tree was traversed successfully, the `ftw`() and `nftw`() functions return 0. If the function pointed to by fn returns a non-zero value, `ftw`() and `nftw`() will stop processing the tree and return the value from fn. Both functions return -1 if an error is detected.

# ERRORS

The `ftw`() and `nftw`() functions may fail and set errno for any of the errors specified for the library functions close(2), open(2), stat(2), malloc(3), opendir(3) and readdir(3). If the `FTW_CHDIR` flag is set, the `nftw`() function may fail and set errno for any of the errors specified for chdir(2). In addition, either function may fail and set errno as follows:

[`EINVAL`]
  The maxfds argument is less than 1 or, in the case of `ftw` only, greater than `OPEN_MAX`.

# SEE ALSO

chdir(2), close(2), open(2), stat(2), fts_open(3), malloc(3), opendir(3), readdir(3)

# STANDARDS

The `ftw`() and `nftw`() functions conform to IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 (“POSIX.1”).

# BUGS

The maxfds argument is currently ignored.

September 2, 2019 | Debian