---
name: "fputws"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "man-pages"
version: "6.19-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/fputws"
---

# fputws(3)

write a wide-character string to a FILE stream

## NAME

fputws - write a wide-character string to a FILE stream

## LIBRARY

Standard C library (*libc*, *-lc*)

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <wchar.h>
```

**int fputws(const wchar\_t \*restrict** *ws***, FILE \*restrict** *stream***);**

## DESCRIPTION

The **fputws**() function is the wide-character equivalent of the [**fputs**(3)](/fputs/3.md) function. It writes the wide-character string starting at *ws*, up to but not including the terminating null wide character (L'\\0'), to *stream*.

For a nonlocking counterpart, see [**unlocked\_stdio**(3)](/unlocked_stdio/3.md).

## RETURN VALUE

The **fputws**() function returns a nonnegative integer if the operation was successful, or -1 to indicate an error.

## ATTRIBUTES

For an explanation of the terms used in this section, see [**attributes**(7)](/attributes/7.md).

| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Interface** | **Attribute** | **Value** |
| **fputws**() | Thread safety | MT-Safe |

## STANDARDS

C11, POSIX.1-2008.

## HISTORY

POSIX.1-2001, C99.

## NOTES

The behavior of **fputws**() depends on the **LC\_CTYPE** category of the current locale.

In the absence of additional information passed to the [**fopen**(3)](/fopen/3.md) call, it is reasonable to expect that **fputws**() will actually write the multibyte string corresponding to the wide-character string *ws*.

## SEE ALSO

[**fputwc**(3)](/fputwc/3.md), [**unlocked\_stdio**(3)](/unlocked_stdio/3.md)