NAME File::fgets - Read either one line or X characters from a file

SYNOPSIS use File::fgets;

  open my $fh, $file;

  # Read either one line or the first 10 characters, which ever comes first
  my $line = fgets($fh, 10);

DESCRIPTION An implementation of the C fgets() function.

fgets
    my $string = fgets($fh, $limit);

Reads either one line or at most $limit bytes from the $fh.

Returns undef at end of file.

NOTE: unlike C's fgets, this will read $limit characters not $limit - 1.
Perl doesn't have to leave room for a null byte.

EXAMPLE The following example demonstrates using fgets() to read in at most 5 characters at a time.

  use File::fgets;

  open my $write_fh, ">", $file;
  print $write_fh <<END;
  this is
  an example
  of use
  END
  close $write_fh;

  open my $fh, "<", $file;
  while( my $string = fgets($fh, 5) ) {
      $string =~ s{
}{n};  # make newlines show up
      print "--$string--
";
  }

The result will be:

  --this --
  --is
--
  --an ex--
  --ample--
  --
--
  --of us--
  --e
--

NOTES This is implemented as a wrapper around the C fgets() function and is extremely efficient UNLESS the filehandle does not have an underlying fileno. For example, if its given a tied filehandle. Then it falls back to a Perl implementation.

LICENSE Copyright 2010 by Michael G Schwern [email protected].

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the same terms as Perl itself.

See http://www.perl.com/perl/misc/Artistic.html

Send bugs, feedback, ideas and suggestions via
https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Name=File-fgets or
<[email protected]>

The latest version of this software can be found at
http://github.com/schwern/File-fgets

SEE ALSO File::GetLineMaxLength