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

# stpcpy(3)

string return-offset-pointer copy

## NAME

stpcpy - string return-offset-pointer copy

## LIBRARY

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

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <string.h>
```

**char \*stpcpy(char \*restrict** *dst***, const char \*restrict** *src***);**

Feature Test Macro Requirements for glibc (see [**feature\_test\_macros**(7)](/feature_test_macros/7.md)):

**stpcpy**():

```
    Since glibc 2.10:
        _POSIX_C_SOURCE >= 200809L
    Before glibc 2.10:
        _GNU_SOURCE
```

## DESCRIPTION

**stpcpy**() is similar to [**strcpy**(3)](/strcpy/3.md), but returns a pointer to the terminating null byte in *dst*.

It is equivalent to all of the following expressions:

```
memset(mempcpy(dst, src, strlen(src)), '\0', 1);
strcpy(mempcpy(dst, src, strlen(src)), "");
strcpy(dst, src) + strlen(src)
```

## RETURN VALUE

This function returns a pointer to the terminating null byte of the copied string.

## ATTRIBUTES

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

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

## STANDARDS

POSIX.1-2008.

## HISTORY

POSIX.1-2008.

## EXAMPLES

```
#include <err.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
int
main(void)
{
    char    *p;
    char    *buf1;
    size_t  len, size;
    size = strlen("Hello ") + strlen("world") + strlen("!") + 1;
    buf1 = malloc(sizeof(*buf1) * size);
    if (buf1 == NULL)
        err(EXIT_FAILURE, "malloc()");
    p = buf1;
    p = stpcpy(p, "Hello ");
    p = stpcpy(p, "world");
    p = stpcpy(p, "!");
    len = p - buf1;
    printf("[len = %zu]: ", len);
    puts(buf1);  // "Hello world!"
    free(buf1);
    exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
}
```

## SEE ALSO

[**strcpy**(3)](/strcpy/3.md), [**string**(3)](/string/3.md), [**wcpcpy**(3)](/wcpcpy/3.md), [**string\_copying**(7)](/string_copying/7.md)