<refentry id="fread">
<refnamediv>
<refname>Fread</refname>
<refname>Fwrite</refname>
<refpurpose>read/write binary data</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

<refsynopsisdiv>
<funcsynopsis>
<funcsynopsisinfo>
#include &lt;stdio.h&gt;
</funcsynopsisinfo>
<funcprototype>
  <funcdef><function>fread</function></funcdef>
  <paramdef>char *<parameter>ptr</parameter></paramdef>
  <paramdef>int <parameter>size</parameter></paramdef>
  <paramdef>int <parameter>number</parameter></paramdef>
  <paramdef>FILE *<parameter>fp</parameter></paramdef>
</funcprototype>

<funcprototype>
  <funcdef><function>fwrite</function></funcdef>
  <paramdef>char *<parameter>ptr</parameter></paramdef>
  <paramdef>int <parameter>size</parameter></paramdef>
  <paramdef>int <parameter>number</parameter></paramdef>
  <paramdef>FILE *<parameter>fp</parameter></paramdef>
</funcprototype>
</funcsynopsis>

</refsynopsisdiv>

<refsect1><title>Description</title>
<para>
Fread reads from the file pointed to by "fp". "Number" is the
number of items of size "size" that are to be read starting at
"ptr". The best way to pass the argument "size" to fread is by
using "sizeof". Fread returns the number of items actually
read.
</para>
<para>
Fwrite writes to the file pointed to by "fp". "Number" is the
number of items of size "size" reading the from memory
starting at "ptr".
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>Diagnostics</title>
<para>
Both functions return 0 (NULL) at the end of file or error.
</para>
</refsect1>

<refsect1><title>See Also</title>
<para>
System calls
<link linkend="read">read()</link>,
<link linkend="write">write()</link>.
<link linkend="fopen">Fopen()</link>,
<link linkend="getc">getc()</link>,
<link linkend="putc">putc()</link>,
<link linkend="printf">printf()</link>.
</para>
</refsect1>

</refentry>