# memcmp

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< c‎ | string‎ | byte

Defined in header `<string.h>` |  |
int memcmp( const void* lhs, const void* rhs, size_t count ); |  |

Compares the first `count` characters of the objects pointed to by `lhs` and `rhs`. The comparison is done lexicographically.

The sign of the result is the sign of the difference between the values of the first pair of bytes (both interpreted as unsigned char) that differ in the objects being compared.

The behavior is undefined if access occurs beyond the end of either object pointed to by `lhs` and `rhs`. The behavior is undefined if either `lhs` or `rhs` is a null pointer.

### Parameters

lhs, rhs | - | pointers to the objects to compare
count | - | number of bytes to examine

### Return value

Negative value if `lhs` appears before `rhs` in lexicographical order.

Zero if `lhs` and `rhs` compare equal, or if count is zero.

Positive value if `lhs` appears after `rhs` in lexicographical order.

### Notes

This function reads object representations, not the object values, and is typically meaningful for byte arrays only: structs may have padding bytes whose values are indeterminate, the values of any bytes beyond the last stored member in a union are indeterminate, and a type may have two or more representations for the same value (different encodings for +0 and -0 or for +0.0 and –0.0, indeterminate padding bits within the type).

### Example

Run this code

    #include <stdio.h>
    #include <string.h>

    void demo(const char* lhs, const char* rhs, size_t sz)
    {
        for(size_t n = 0; n < sz; ++n) putchar(lhs[n]);
        int rc = memcmp(lhs, rhs, sz);
        if(rc == 0)
            printf(" compares equal to ");
        else if(rc < 0)
            printf(" precedes ");
        else if(rc > 0)
            printf(" follows ");
        for(size_t n = 0; n < sz; ++n) putchar(rhs[n]);
        puts(" in lexicographical order");
    }

    int main(void)
    {
        char a1[] = {'a','b','c'};
        char a2[sizeof a1] = {'a','b','d'};

        demo(a1, a2, sizeof a1);
        demo(a2, a1, sizeof a1);
        demo(a1, a1, sizeof a1);
    }

Output:

    abc precedes abd in lexicographical order
    abd follows abc in lexicographical order
    abc compares equal to abc in lexicographical order

### References

- C11 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2011):

  - 7.24.4.1 The memcmp function (p: 365)

- C99 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1999):

  - 7.21.4.1 The memcmp function (p: 328)

- C89/C90 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1990):

  - 4.11.4.1 The memcmp function

### See also

strcmp | compares two strings (function)
strncmp | compares a certain amount of characters of two strings (function)

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