---
c: Copyright (C) The libssh2 project and its contributors.
SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
Title: libssh2_sftp_fstat_ex
Section: 3
Source: libssh2
See-also:
  - libssh2_sftp_open_ex(3)
---

# NAME

libssh2_sftp_fstat_ex - get or set attributes on an SFTP file handle

# SYNOPSIS

~~~c
#include <libssh2.h>
#include <libssh2_sftp.h>

int
libssh2_sftp_fstat_ex(LIBSSH2_SFTP_HANDLE *handle,
                      LIBSSH2_SFTP_ATTRIBUTES *attrs, int setstat)

#define libssh2_sftp_fstat(handle, attrs) \
    libssh2_sftp_fstat_ex((handle), (attrs), 0)
#define libssh2_sftp_fsetstat(handle, attrs) \
    libssh2_sftp_fstat_ex((handle), (attrs), 1)
~~~

# DESCRIPTION

*handle* - SFTP File Handle as returned by libssh2_sftp_open_ex(3)

*attrs* - Pointer to an LIBSSH2_SFTP_ATTRIBUTES structure to set file
metadata from or into depending on the value of setstat.

*setstat* - When non-zero, the file's metadata will be updated
with the data found in attrs according to the values of attrs-\>flags
and other relevant member attributes.

Get or Set statbuf type data for a given LIBSSH2_SFTP_HANDLE instance.

# DATA TYPES

LIBSSH2_SFTP_ATTRIBUTES is a typedefed struct that is defined as below

~~~c
struct _LIBSSH2_SFTP_ATTRIBUTES {

    /* If flags & ATTR_* bit is set, then the value in this
     * struct will be meaningful Otherwise it should be ignored
     */
    unsigned long flags;

    /* size of file, in bytes */
    libssh2_uint64_t filesize;

    /* numerical representation of the user and group owner of
     * the file
     */
    unsigned long uid, gid;

    /* bitmask of permissions */
    unsigned long permissions;

    /* access time and modified time of file */
    unsigned long atime, mtime;
};
~~~

You will find a full set of defines and macros to identify flags and
permissions on the **libssh2_sftp.h** header file, but some of the
most common ones are:

To check for specific user permissions, the set of defines are in the
pattern LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_I\<action\>\<who\> where \<action\> is R, W or X for
read, write and executable and \<who\> is USR, GRP and OTH for user,
group and other. So, you check for a user readable file, use the bit
*LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_IRUSR* while you want to see if it is executable
for other, you use *LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_IXOTH* and so on.

To check for specific file types, you would previously (before libssh2
1.2.5) use the standard posix S_IS\*() macros, but since 1.2.5
libssh2 offers its own set of macros for this functionality:

## LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_ISLNK

Test for a symbolic link

## LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_ISREG

Test for a regular file

## LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_ISDIR

Test for a directory

## LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_ISCHR

Test for a character special file

## LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_ISBLK

Test for a block special file

## LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_ISFIFO

Test for a pipe or FIFO special file

## LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_ISSOCK

Test for a socket

# RETURN VALUE

Return 0 on success or negative on failure. It returns
LIBSSH2_ERROR_EAGAIN when it would otherwise block. While
LIBSSH2_ERROR_EAGAIN is a negative number, it is not really a failure per se.

# ERRORS

*LIBSSH2_ERROR_ALLOC* - An internal memory allocation call failed.

*LIBSSH2_ERROR_SOCKET_SEND* - Unable to send data on socket.

*LIBSSH2_ERROR_SOCKET_TIMEOUT* -

*LIBSSH2_ERROR_SFTP_PROTOCOL* - An invalid SFTP protocol response was
received on the socket, or an SFTP operation caused an errorcode to
be returned by the server.

# AVAILABILITY

This function has been around since forever, but most of the
LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_\* defines were introduced in libssh2 0.14 and the
LIBSSH2_SFTP_S_IS\*() macros were introduced in libssh2 1.2.5.