ftsclose

fts_close is a C library function used to finish a directory tree traversal that was started with fts_open. It is part of the File Traversal System (FTS) API, which provides facilities for walking directory hierarchies in a controlled manner. The function is defined in <fts.h> and is available on BSD-derived systems and in GNU libc on Linux.

Prototype: int fts_close(FTS *ftsp); ftsp is the pointer returned by fts_open.

What it does: fts_close releases the resources allocated for the traversal, including memory and any open directory streams associated with the FTS object. It does not modify the filesystem or delete files. The function should be called after the traversal is complete, even if you stopped early due to an error during processing.

Return value: On success, fts_close returns 0. On error, it returns -1 and sets errno to indicate the failure.

Usage notes: Typical usage involves calling fts_open to obtain an FTS handle, processing entries with fts_read (and possibly inspecting fts_info or fts_children), and finally calling fts_close to free resources. If fts_open fails, ftsp is NULL and fts_close must not be called. If errors occur during traversal, errno may be set; however, you should still call fts_close to ensure proper resource cleanup.

Common considerations: The FTS interface is POSIX-like but originates from BSD; availability can vary by system. Correct usage centers on pairing fts_open with a subsequent fts_close and handling errors from both fts_read and fts_close where appropriate.

See also: fts_open, fts_read, fts_children.