ftw(), ftw64()

Walk a file tree


#include <ftw.h>

int ftw( const char *path, 
         int (*fn)( const char *fname,
                    const struct stat *sbuf,
                    int flags),
         int depth );


BlackBerry 10.0.0


The path of the directory whose file tree you want to walk.
A pointer to a function that you want to call for each file; see below.
The maximum number of file descriptors that ftw() can use. The ftw() function uses one file descriptor for each level in the tree.

If depth is zero or negative, the effect is the same as if it were 1. The depth must not be greater than the number of file descriptors currently available for use. The ftw() function is faster if depth is at least as large as the number of levels in the tree.




These functions are in libc.a, but not in libc.so (in order to save space).


The ftw() and ftw64() functions recursively descend the directory hierarchy identified by path. The ftw64() function is a 64-bit version of ftw().

For each object in the hierarchy, ftw() calls the user-defined function fn(), passing to it:

  • a pointer to a NULL-terminated character string containing the name of the object
  • a pointer to a stat structure (see stat()) containing information about the object
  • an integer. Possible values of the integer, defined in the <ftw.h> header, are:
    The object is a file.
    The object is a directory.
    The object is a directory that can't be read. Descendants of the directory aren't processed.
    The stat() failed on the object because the permissions weren't appropriate, or the object is a symbolic link that points to a nonexistent file. The stat buffer passed to fn() is undefined.

The ftw() function visits a directory before visiting any of its descendants.

The tree traversal continues until the tree is exhausted, an invocation of fn() returns a nonzero value, or some error is detected within ftw() (such as an I/O error). If the tree is exhausted, ftw() returns zero. If fn() returns a nonzero value, ftw() stops its tree traversal and returns whatever value was returned by fn().

When ftw() returns, it closes any file descriptors it opened; it doesn't close any file descriptors that may have been opened by fn().


An error (other than EACCES) occurred ( errno is set).


ftw() is POSIX 1003.1 XSI; ftw64() is Large-file support

Cancellation point Yes
Interrupt handler No
Signal handler Yes
Thread Yes


Because ftw() is recursive, it might terminate with a memory fault when applied to very deep file structures.

This function uses malloc() to allocate dynamic storage during its operation. If ftw() is forcibly terminated, for example if longjmp() is executed by fn() or an interrupt routine, ftw() doesn't have a chance to free that storage, so it remains permanently allocated. A safe way to handle interrupts is to store the fact that an interrupt has occurred, and arrange to have fn() return a nonzero value at its next invocation.

Last modified: 2014-06-24


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