PERROR(3) UNIX Programmer's Manual PERROR(3) NAME perror, sys_errlist, sys_nerr - system error messages SYNOPSIS perror(s) char *s; int sys_nerr; char *sys_errlist[]; DESCRIPTION _P_e_r_r_o_r produces a short error message on the standard error file describing the last error encountered during a call to the system from a C program. First the argument string _s is printed, then a colon, then the message and a new-line. Most usefully, the argument string is the name of the pro- gram which incurred the error. The error number is taken from the external variable _e_r_r_n_o (see _i_n_t_r_o(2)), which is set when errors occur but not cleared when non-erroneous calls are made. To simplify variant formatting of messages, the vector of message strings _s_y_s__e_r_r_l_i_s_t is provided; _e_r_r_n_o can be used as an index in this table to get the message string without the newline. _S_y_s__n_e_r_r is the number of messages provided for in the table; it should be checked because new error codes may be added to the system before they are added to the table. SEE ALSO intro(2) Printed 12/7/82 1