STRCPY(3)           Linux Programmer's Manual           STRCPY(3)

NAME
       strcpy, strncpy - copy a string

SYNOPSIS
       #include <string.h>

       char *strcpy(char *dest, const char *src);

       char *strncpy(char *dest, const char *src, size_t n);

DESCRIPTION
       The  strcpy() function copies the string pointed to be src
       (including the terminating `\0' character)  to  the  array
       pointed  to by dest.  The strings may not overlap, and the
       destination string dest must be large  enough  to  receive
       the copy.

       The  strncpy()  function  is similar, except that not more
       than n bytes of src are copied. Thus, if there is no  null
       byte among the first n bytes of src, the result wil not be
       null-terminated.

       In the case where the length of src is less than  that  of
       n, the remainder of dest will be padded with nulls.

RETURN VALUE
       The  strcpy()  and strncpy() functions return a pointer to
       the destination string dest.

BUGS
       If the destination string  of  a  strcpy()  is  not  large
       enough  (that  is,  if the programmer was stupid/lazy, and
       failed to check the size  before  copying)  then  anything
       might  happen.   Overflowing  fixed  length  strings  is a
       favourite cracker technique.

CONFORMING TO
       SVID 3, POSIX, BSD 4.3, ISO 9899

SEE ALSO
       bcopy(3), memccpy(3), memcpy(3), memmove(3)

GNU                       April 11, 1993                        1