---
name: "vrb_space_ptr"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libvrb0-dev"
version: "0.5.1-5.1"
release: "Debian 7 (Wheezy)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/vrb_space_ptr"
---

# vrb\_space\_ptr(3)

return pointer to empty space

## NAME

vrb\_space\_ptr - return pointer to empty space

## LIBRARY

**-lvrb**

## SYNOPSIS

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

*size\_t* **vrb\_space\_ptr***(vrb\_p* **vrb***);*

## DESCRIPTION

**vrb\_space\_ptr** returns the pointer to the beginning of the contiguous block of empty space within the virtual ring buffer where data may be placed. The pointer has meaning only if there is space in the buffer. If there is no space in the buffer, an arbitrary pointer is returned that must not be used. Use **[vrb\_space\_len(3)](/vrb_space_len/3.md)** or **[vrb\_is\_full(3)](/vrb_is_full/3.md)** to determine if **[vrb\_space\_ptr(3)](/vrb_space_ptr/3.md)** has a meaningful pointer.

The caller may access all of this space, and should call **[vrb\_give(3)](/vrb_give/3.md)** to indicate how much data has been placed into the buffer.

## ARGUMENTS

*vrb\_p* **vrb**\
 specifies the virtual ring buffer to obtain the empty space pointer from. If a NULL or invalid pointer is given, results are unpredictable and are likely to be disasterous.

## RETURN VALUE

*size\_t*\
 The pointer to the empty space in the virtual ring buffer is returned.

## SEE ALSO

[**vrb**(3)](/vrb/3.md), [**vrb\_capacity**(3)](/vrb_capacity/3.md), [**vrb\_data\_len**(3)](/vrb_data_len/3.md), [**vrb\_data\_ptr**(3)](/vrb_data_ptr/3.md), [**vrb\_destroy**(3)](/vrb_destroy/3.md), [**vrb\_get**(3)](/vrb_get/3.md), [**vrb\_get\_min**(3)](/vrb_get_min/3.md), [**vrb\_give**(3)](/vrb_give/3.md), [**vrb\_init**(3)](/vrb_init/3.md), [**vrb\_init\_opt**(3)](/vrb_init_opt/3.md), [**vrb\_is\_empty**(3)](/vrb_is_empty/3.md), [**vrb\_is\_full**(3)](/vrb_is_full/3.md), [**vrb\_is\_not\_empty**(3)](/vrb_is_not_empty/3.md), [**vrb\_is\_not\_full**(3)](/vrb_is_not_full/3.md), [**vrb\_move**(3)](/vrb_move/3.md), [**vrb\_new**(3)](/vrb_new/3.md), [**vrb\_new\_opt**(3)](/vrb_new_opt/3.md), [**vrb\_put**(3)](/vrb_put/3.md), [**vrb\_put\_all**(3)](/vrb_put_all/3.md), [**vrb\_read**(3)](/vrb_read/3.md), [**vrb\_read\_min**(3)](/vrb_read_min/3.md), [**vrb\_resize**(3)](/vrb_resize/3.md), [**vrb\_space\_len**(3)](/vrb_space_len/3.md), [**vrb\_take**(3)](/vrb_take/3.md), [**vrb\_uninit**(3)](/vrb_uninit/3.md), [**vrb\_write**(3)](/vrb_write/3.md), [**vrb\_write\_min**(3)](/vrb_write_min/3.md)