---
c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel.se>, et al.
SPDX-License-Identifier: curl
Title: curl_multi_waitfds
Section: 3
Source: libcurl
See-also:
  - curl_multi_perform (3)
  - curl_multi_poll (3)
  - curl_multi_wait (3)
  - curl_multi_fdset (3)
Protocol:
  - All
---

# NAME

curl_multi_waitfds - extracts file descriptor information from a multi handle

# SYNOPSIS

~~~c
#include <curl/curl.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

CURLMcode curl_multi_waitfds(CURLM *multi,
                             struct curl_waitfd *ufds,
                             unsigned int size,
                             unsigned int *fd_count);
~~~

# DESCRIPTION

This function extracts *curl_waitfd* structures which are similar to
*poll(2)*'s *pollfd* structure from a given multi_handle.

These structures can be used for polling on multi_handle file descriptors in a
fashion similar to curl_multi_poll(3). The curl_multi_perform(3)
function should be called as soon as one of them is ready to be read from or
written to.

libcurl fills provided *ufds* array up to the *size*.
If a number of descriptors used by the multi_handle is greater than the
*size* parameter then libcurl returns CURLM_OUT_OF_MEMORY error.

If the *fd_count* argument is not a null pointer, it points to a variable
that on returns specifies the number of descriptors used by the multi_handle to
be checked for being ready to read or write.

The client code can pass *size* equal to zero just to get the number of the
descriptors and allocate appropriate storage for them to be used in a
subsequent function call.

# EXAMPLE

~~~c
int main(void)
{
  CURLMcode mc;
  struct curl_waitfd *ufds;

  CURLM *multi = curl_multi_init();

  do {
    /* call curl_multi_perform() */

    /* get the count of file descriptors from the transfers */
    unsigned int fd_count = 0;

    mc = curl_multi_waitfds(multi, NULL, 0, &fd_count);

    if(mc != CURLM_OK) {
      fprintf(stderr, "curl_multi_waitfds() failed, code %d.\n", mc);
      break;
    }

    if(!fd_count)
      continue; /* no descriptors yet */

    /* Allocate storage for our descriptors.
    * Note that a better approach can be used to minimize allocations and
    * deallocations, if needed, like pre-allocated or grow-only array.
    */
    ufds = (struct curl_waitfd*)malloc(fd_count * sizeof(struct curl_waitfd));

    /* get wait descriptors from the transfers and put them into array. */
    mc = curl_multi_waitfds(multi, ufds, fd_count, NULL);

    if(mc != CURLM_OK) {
      fprintf(stderr, "curl_multi_waitfds() failed, code %d.\n", mc);
      free(ufds);
      break;
    }

    /* Do polling on descriptors in ufds */

    free(ufds);
  } while (!mc);
}
~~~

# AVAILABILITY

Added in 8.8.0

# RETURN VALUE

**CURLMcode** type, general libcurl multi interface error code. See
libcurl-errors(3)