get_next_line

A function that reads a file descriptor line by line.

Function prototype

char *get_next_line(int fd);

The goal of get_next_line is to read a line from a file descriptor, such as a text file, and return it to the caller. It provides a convenient way to read and process large files line by line, without having to load the entire file into memory at once.

The function reads a specified number of characters at a time (BUFFER_SIZE) from the file descriptor until it encounters a newline character ('\n') or reaches the end of the file (EOF). It then returns the line as a string to the caller. Subsequent calls to get_next_line() continue reading from where it left off, allowing for the sequential retrieval of lines from the file.

get_next_line involves dynamic memory allocation and management to handle lines of variable length. It handles different edge cases, such as handling multiple file descriptors simultaneously and managing file errors gracefully.

Compiling

If you want to set a specific BUFFER_SIZE you will have to compile the function like so:

cc -Wall -Wextra -Werror -D BUFFER_SIZE=42 <files>.c