'\" te
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.TH tell 3C "28 Jan 1998" "SunOS 5.11" "Standard C Library Functions"
.SH NAME
tell \- return a file offset for a file descriptor
.SH SYNOPSIS
.LP
.nf
#include <unistd.h>

\fBoff_t\fR \fBtell\fR(\fBint\fR \fIfd\fR);
.fi

.SH DESCRIPTION
.sp
.LP
The \fBtell()\fR function obtains the current value of the file-position
indicator for the file descriptor \fIfd\fR.
.SH RETURN VALUES
.sp
.LP
Upon successful completion, \fBtell()\fR returns the current value of the
file-position indicator for \fIfd\fR measured in bytes from the beginning of
the file.
.sp
.LP
Otherwise, it returns \fB\(mi1\fR and sets \fBerrno\fR to indicate the error.
.SH ERRORS
.sp
.LP
The \fBtell()\fR function will fail if:
.sp
.ne 2
.mk
.na
\fB\fBEBADF\fR\fR
.ad
.RS 13n
.rt  
The file descriptor \fIfd\fR is not an open file descriptor.
.RE

.sp
.ne 2
.mk
.na
\fB\fBEOVERFLOW\fR\fR
.ad
.RS 13n
.rt  
The current file offset cannot be represented correctly in an object of type
\fBoff_t\fR.
.RE

.sp
.ne 2
.mk
.na
\fB\fBESPIPE\fR\fR
.ad
.RS 13n
.rt  
The file descriptor \fIfd\fR is associated with a pipe or FIFO.
.RE

.SH USAGE
.sp
.LP
The \fBtell()\fR function is equivalent to \fBlseek(\fR\fIfd\fR\fB, 0,
SEEK_CUR)\fR.
.SH ATTRIBUTES
.sp
.LP
See \fBattributes\fR(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
.sp

.sp
.TS
tab() box;
cw(2.75i) |cw(2.75i) 
lw(2.75i) |lw(2.75i) 
.
ATTRIBUTE TYPEATTRIBUTE VALUE
_
MT-LevelMT-Safe
.TE

.SH SEE ALSO
.sp
.LP
\fBlseek\fR(2), \fBattributes\fR(5)