Search code examples
clinuxbashshellmanpage

How to run C functions in shell?

While learning C, I've recognized that you can see the manual of its functions within linux shell (I've been using BASH). For example:

man strlen
man crypt
man printf

I'd figured that maybe I could use those functions in shell scripting.

Is this true? How can I use those functions in shell script?

Solution

  • You can't. Manpages are a relic of a time when there were no IDEs, and no Web to look things up in. You would write your code in an editor such as ed or vim or emacs, look up functions with man, compile with cc. The fact that man command looks up C functions does not mean you get to use those functions directly in a shell.

    However, some of those functions also have an equivalent in *NIX: man 3 printf is a C function, but man 1 printf is a *NIX one.