NYCPHP Meetup

[David Mintz]

A little theoretical question to which I *know* you guys know the
answer so don't be coy (-:

The fgets() function documentation says:

string fgets ( resource handle [, int length] )

Returns a string of up to length - 1 bytes read from the file pointed to
by handle. Reading ends when length - 1 bytes have been read, [...]

How come it's length - 1? My research suggests the answer is, because it
PHP'wraps  fgets() a C function of the same name which does it that way.

OK then, why does the C function fgets() do it that way? I heard a rumor
that says the C function appends a NULL character to the string, so that
might explain it -- to leave some room. But if so, why the null character?

Gratefully,


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David Mintz
http://davidmintz.org/