---
name: "pmWhichContext"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "pcp"
version: "7.2.2-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pmWhichContext"
---

# pmWhichContext(3)

identify the current PMAPI context

## NAME

**pmWhichContext** - identify the current PMAPI context

## C SYNOPSIS

**#include \<pcp/pmapi.h\>**

**int pmWhichContext(void);**

**cc ... -lpcp**

## DESCRIPTION

An application using the Performance Metrics Application Programming Interface (PMAPI) may manipulate several concurrent contexts, each associated with a source of performance metrics, e.g. [**pmcd**(1)](/pmcd/1.md) on some host, or an archive of performance metrics as created by [**pmlogger**(1)](/pmlogger/1.md).

**pmWhichContext** returns a handle for the current PMAPI context, that may be used in the associated PMAPI routines that require a handle to identify a PMAPI context.

## DIAGNOSTICS

- **PM\_ERR\_NOCONTEXT**

  no current context

## SEE ALSO

[**PMAPI**(3)](/PMAPI/3.md), [**pmDestroyContext**(3)](/pmDestroyContext/3.md), [**pmDupContext**(3)](/pmDupContext/3.md), [**pmNewContext**(3)](/pmNewContext/3.md) and [**pmUseContext**(3)](/pmUseContext/3.md).