.\" Copyright (c) 2022 by Alejandro Colomar <alx@kernel.org>
.\"
.\" SPDX-License-Identifier: Linux-man-pages-copyleft
.\"
.\"
.TH EOF 3const 2023-10-31 "Linux man-pages 6.7"
.SH NAME
EOF \- end of file or error indicator
.SH LIBRARY
Standard C library
.RI ( libc )
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
.B #include <stdio.h>
.P
.BR "#define EOF  " "/* ... */"
.fi
.SH DESCRIPTION
.B EOF
represents the end of an input file, or an error indication.
It is a negative value, of type
.IR int .
.P
.B EOF
is not a character
(it can't be represented by
.IR "unsigned char" ).
It is instead a sentinel value outside of the valid range for valid characters.
.SH CONFORMING TO
C99 and later;
POSIX.1-2001 and later.
.SH CAVEATS
Programs can't pass this value to an output function
to "write" the end of a file.
That would likely result in undefined behavior.
Instead,
closing the writing stream or file descriptor
that refers to such file
is the way to signal the end of that file.
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR feof (3),
.BR fgetc (3)