---
name: "fputs"
section: "3"
platform: "macos"
package: "Libc"
version: "1752.120.2"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/fputs"
---

# fputs(3)

output a line to a stream

## NAME

**fputs**, **puts** – output a line to a stream

## LIBRARY

Standard C Library (libc, -lc)

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<stdio.h\>**

*int*\

**fputs**(*const char \*restrict s*, *FILE \*restrict stream*);

*int*\

**puts**(*const char \*s*);

## DESCRIPTION

The function **fputs**() writes the string pointed to by *s* to the stream pointed to by *stream*.

The function **puts**() writes the string *s*, and a terminating newline character, to the stream stdout.

## RETURN VALUES

The functions **fputs**() and **puts**() return a nonnegative integer on success and EOF on error.

## ERRORS

- \[EBADF\]

  The *stream* argument is not a writable stream.

The functions **fputs**() and **puts**() may also fail and set *errno* for any of the errors specified for the routines [write(2)](/write/2.md).

## COMPATIBILITY

**fputs**() now returns a non-negative number (as opposed to 0) on successful completion. As a result, many tests (e.g., "fputs() == 0", "fputs() != 0") do not give the desired result. Use "fputs() != EOF" or "fputs() == EOF" to determine success or failure.

## SEE ALSO

[ferror(3)](/ferror/3.md), [fputws(3)](/fputws/3.md), [putc(3)](/putc/3.md), [stdio(3)](/stdio/3.md)

## STANDARDS

The functions **fputs**() and **puts**() conform to ISO/IEC 9899:1990 (“ISO C90”). While not mentioned in the standard, both **fputs**() and **puts**() print ‘(null)’ if *str* is NULL.