vinifm / 42_get_next_line

A function that reads the next line of text from a given file descriptor.

About

Prototype	char *get_next_line(int fd)
Parameter	File descriptor to read from.
Return value	Read line: correct behaviour; NULL: nothing else to read or an error occurred.

A function which returns a line read from a file descriptor. Calling get_next_line in a loop will then allow us to read the text available on the file descriptor one line at a time until the end of it.

Bonus

Manage multiple file descriptors with get_next_line with a single static variable. For example, if the file descriptors 3, 4 and 5 are accessible for reading, then we can call get_next_line once on 3, once on 4, once again on 3 then once on 5 etc. without losing the reading thread on each of the descriptors.

Usage

To compile:

$> gcc -Wall -Wextra -Werror -D BUFFER_SIZE=xxx <files>.c.

Where "xxx" is the number of bytes read by the buffer each time. BUFFER_SIZE is set to 1 by default.