---
c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
SPDX-License-Identifier: curl
Title: curl_multi_socket
Section: 3
Source: libcurl
See-also:
  - curl_multi_cleanup (3)
  - curl_multi_fdset (3)
  - curl_multi_info_read (3)
  - curl_multi_init (3)
  - the hiperfifo.c example
Protocol:
  - All
Added-in: 7.15.4
---

# NAME

curl_multi_socket - read/write available data

# SYNOPSIS

~~~c
#include <curl/curl.h>
CURLMcode curl_multi_socket(CURLM *multi_handle, curl_socket_t sockfd,
                            int *running_handles);
~~~

# DESCRIPTION

This function is deprecated. Use curl_multi_socket_action(3) instead with
**ev_bitmask** set to 0.

At return, the integer **running_handles** points to contains the number of
still running easy handles within the multi handle. When this number reaches
zero, all transfers are complete/done. Note that when you call
curl_multi_socket(3) on a specific socket and the counter decreases by one, it
DOES NOT necessarily mean that this exact socket/transfer is the one that
completed. Use curl_multi_info_read(3) to figure out which easy handle that
completed.

The curl_multi_socket(3) functions inform the application about updates in the
socket (file descriptor) status by doing none, one, or multiple calls to the
socket callback function set with the CURLMOPT_SOCKETFUNCTION(3) option to
curl_multi_setopt(3). They update the status with changes since the previous
time the callback was called.

Get the timeout time by setting the CURLMOPT_TIMERFUNCTION(3) option with
curl_multi_setopt(3). Your application then gets called with information on
how long to wait for socket actions at most before doing the timeout action:
call the curl_multi_socket_action(3) function with the **sockfd** argument set
to CURL_SOCKET_TIMEOUT. You can also use the curl_multi_timeout(3) function to
poll the value at any given time, but for an event-based system using the
callback is far better than relying on polling the timeout value.

# %PROTOCOLS%

# EXAMPLE

~~~c
int main(void)
{
  /* the event-library gets told when there activity on the socket 'fd',
     which we translate to a call to curl_multi_socket_action() */
  int running;
  int rc;
  int fd;
  CURLM *multi;
  rc = curl_multi_socket(multi, fd, &running);
}
~~~

# DEPRECATED

curl_multi_socket(3) is deprecated, use curl_multi_socket_action(3) instead.

# %AVAILABILITY%

# RETURN VALUE

CURLMcode type, general libcurl multi interface error code.

The return code is for the whole multi stack. Problems still might have
occurred on individual transfers even when one of these functions return OK.