BIO_s_file(3ssl)

BIO_s_file3ssl

File bio

Usage

 #include <openssl/bio.h>
 const BIO_METHOD *BIO_s_file(void);
 BIO *BIO_new_file(const char *filename, const char *mode);
 BIO *BIO_new_fp(FILE *stream, int flags);
 long BIO_set_fp(BIO *b, FILE *fp, int flags);
 long BIO_get_fp(BIO *b, FILE **fpp);
 int BIO_read_filename(BIO *b, char *name);
 int BIO_write_filename(BIO *b, char *name);
 int BIO_append_filename(BIO *b, char *name);
 int BIO_rw_filename(BIO *b, char *name);

Overview

BIO_s_file() returns the BIO file method. As its name implies it is a wrapper round the stdio FILE structure and it is a source/sink BIO.

Calls to BIO_read_ex() and BIO_write_ex() read and write data to the underlying stream. BIO_gets() and BIO_puts() are supported on file BIOs.

BIO_flush() on a file BIO calls the fflush() function on the wrapped stream.

BIO_reset() attempts to change the file pointer to the start of file using fseek(stream, 0, 0).

BIO_seek() sets the file pointer to position ofs from start of file using fseek(stream, ofs, 0).

BIO_eof() calls feof().

Setting the BIO_CLOSE flag calls fclose() on the stream when the BIO is freed.

BIO_new_file() creates a new file BIO with mode mode the meaning of mode is the same as the stdio function fopen(). The BIO_CLOSE flag is set on the returned BIO.

BIO_new_fp() creates a file BIO wrapping stream. Flags can be: BIO_CLOSE, BIO_NOCLOSE (the close flag) BIO_FP_TEXT (sets the underlying stream to text mode, default is binary: this only has any effect under Win32).

BIO_set_fp() sets the fp of a file BIO to fp. flags has the same meaning as in BIO_new_fp(), it is a macro.

BIO_get_fp() retrieves the fp of a file BIO, it is a macro.

BIO_seek() is a macro that sets the position pointer to offset bytes from the start of file.

BIO_tell() returns the value of the position pointer.

BIO_read_filename(), BIO_write_filename(), BIO_append_filename() and BIO_rw_filename() set the file BIO b to use file name for reading, writing, append or read write respectively.

Notes

When wrapping stdout, stdin or stderr the underlying stream should not normally be closed so the BIO_NOCLOSE flag should be set.

Because the file BIO calls the underlying stdio functions any quirks in stdio behaviour will be mirrored by the corresponding BIO.

On Windows BIO_new_files reserves for the filename argument to be UTF-8 encoded. In other words if you have to make it work in multi- lingual environment, encode filenames in UTF-8.

Return values

BIO_s_file() returns the file BIO method.

BIO_new_file() and BIO_new_fp() return a file BIO or NULL if an error occurred.

BIO_set_fp() and BIO_get_fp() return 1 for success or <=0 for failure.

BIO_seek() returns 0 for success or negative values for failure.

BIO_tell() returns the current file position or negative values for failure.

BIO_read_filename(), BIO_write_filename(), BIO_append_filename() and BIO_rw_filename() return 1 for success or <=0 for failure. An error is also returned if the file does not exist.

Examples

File BIO "hello world":

 BIO *bio_out;
 bio_out = BIO_new_fp(stdout, BIO_NOCLOSE);
 BIO_printf(bio_out, "Hello World\n");

Alternative technique:

 BIO *bio_out;
 bio_out = BIO_new(BIO_s_file());
 if (bio_out == NULL)
     /* Error */
 if (BIO_set_fp(bio_out, stdout, BIO_NOCLOSE) <= 0)
     /* Error */
 BIO_printf(bio_out, "Hello World\n");

Write to a file:

 BIO *out;
 out = BIO_new_file("filename.txt", "w");
 if (!out)
     /* Error */
 BIO_printf(out, "Hello World\n");
 BIO_free(out);

Alternative technique:

 BIO *out;
 out = BIO_new(BIO_s_file());
 if (out == NULL)
     /* Error */
 if (BIO_write_filename(out, "filename.txt") <= 0)
     /* Error */
 BIO_printf(out, "Hello World\n");
 BIO_free(out);

Releases

13 releases since Debian 3.0 (Woody); the text changed 12 times.

  1. 3.0
  2. 3.1
  3. 4.0
  4. 5.0
  5. 6.0
  6. 7
  7. 8
  8. 9
  9. 10
  10. 11
  11. 12
  12. 13
  13. Arch

Bugs

BIO_reset() and BIO_seek() are implemented using fseek() on the underlying stream. The return value for fseek() is 0 for success or -1 if an error occurred this differs from other types of BIO which will typically return 1 for success and a non positive value if an error occurred.

From openssl 3.6.5-1 in Arch Linux 2026-11-01. Parsed by carta from the page's man source.