---
name: "zero"
section: "3tcl"
platform: "linux"
package: "tcl-memchan"
version: "2.3+dfsg-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/zero"
---

# zero(3tcl)

Create and manipulate zero channels

```

```

## NAME

zero - Create and manipulate zero channels

## SYNOPSIS

package require **Tcl**

package require **memchan**

**zero**

```

```

## DESCRIPTION

The command described here is only available in a not-yet released version of the package. Use the CVS to get the sources.

- **zero**

  creates a zero channel which absorbs everything written into it. Reading from a zero channel will return the requested number of null bytes. These channels are essentially Tcl-specific variants of the zero device for unixoid operating systems (/dev/zero). Transferring the generated channel between interpreters is possible but does not make much sense.

## OPTIONS

Memory channels created by **zero** provide one additional option to set or query.

- *-delay ?milliseconds?*

  A **zero** channel is always writable and readable. This means that all **fileevent**-handlers will fire continuously.  To avoid starvation of other event sources the events raised by this channel type have a configurable delay. This option is set in milliseconds and defaults to 5.

## SEE ALSO

fifo, fifo2, memchan, null, random

## KEYWORDS

channel, i/o, in-memory channel, null, zero

## COPYRIGHT

```
Copyright (c) 2004 Pat Thoyts <patthoyts@users.sourceforge.net>
```