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# PR_Poll
Detects when I/O is ready for a set of socket file descriptors.
## Syntax
```{code}
#include <prio.h>
PRInt32 PR_Poll(
PRPollDesc *pds,
PRIntn npds,
PRIntervalTime timeout);
```
### Parameters
The function has the following parameters:
`pds`
: A pointer to the first element of an array of `PRPollDesc`
structures.
`npds`
: The number of elements in the `pds` array. If this parameter is
zero, {ref}`PR_Poll` is equivalent to {ref}`PR_Sleep` with a timeout.
`timeout`
: Amount of time the call will block waiting for I/O to become ready.
If this time expires without any I/O becoming ready, {ref}`PR_Poll`
returns zero.
### Returns
The function returns one of these values:
- If successful, the function returns a positive number indicating the
number of `PRPollDesc` structures in `pds` that have events.
- The value 0 indicates the function timed out.
- The value -1 indicates the function failed. The reason for the
failure can be obtained by calling {ref}`PR_GetError`.
### Description
This function returns as soon as I/O is ready on one or more of the
underlying socket objects. A count of the number of ready descriptors is
returned unless a timeout occurs, in which case zero is returned.
The `in_flags` field of the `PRPollDesc` data structure should be
set to the I/O events (readable, writable, exception, or some
combination) that the caller is interested in. On successful return, the
`out_flags` field of the `PRPollDesc` data structure is set to
indicate what kind of I/O is ready on the respective descriptor.
{ref}`PR_Poll` uses the `out_flags` fields as scratch variables during
the call. If {ref}`PR_Poll` returns 0 or -1, the `out_flags` fields do
not contain meaningful values and must not be used.
The `PRPollDesc` structure is defined as follows:
```{code}
struct PRPollDesc {
PRFileDesc* fd;
PRInt16 in_flags;
PRInt16 out_flags;
};
typedef struct PRPollDesc PRPollDesc;
```
The structure has the following fields:
`fd`
: A pointer to a {ref}`PRFileDesc` object representing a socket or a
pollable event. This field can be set to `NULL` to indicate to
{ref}`PR_Poll` that this `PRFileDesc object` should be ignored.
:::{note}
On Unix, the `fd` field can be set to a pointer to any
{ref}`PRFileDesc` object, including one representing a file or a
pipe. Cross-platform applications should only set the `fd` field
to a pointer to a {ref}`PRFileDesc` object representing a socket or a
pollable event because on Windows the `select` function can only
be used with sockets.
:::
`in_flags`
: A bitwise `OR` of the following bit flags:
- `PR_POLL_READ`: `fd` is readable.
- `PR_POLL_WRITE`: `fd` is writable.
- `PR_POLL_EXCEPT`: `fd` has an exception condition.
`out_flags`
: A bitwise `OR` of the following bit flags:
- `PR_POLL_READ`
- `PR_POLL_WRITE`
- `PR_POLL_EXCEPT`
- `PR_POLL_ERR`: `fd` has an error.
- `PR_POLL_NVAL`: `fd` is bad.
Note that the `PR_POLL_ERR` and `PR_POLL_NVAL` flags are used only
in `out_flags`. The `PR_POLL_ERR` and `PR_POLL_NVAL` events are
always reported by {ref}`PR_Poll`.