January 30, 2003 PTHREAD_GETSPECIFIC 3

### NAME

pthread_getspecific - get a thread-specific data value

### LIBRARY

POSIX Thread Library (libpthread, -lpthread)

### SYNOPSIS

```void``*` pthread_getspecific(```pthread_key_t key`)

### DESCRIPTION

The pthread_getspecific(``) function returns the value currently bound to the specified ```key` on behalf of the calling thread.

The effect of calling pthread_getspecific(``) with a ```key` value not obtained from pthread_key_create(``) or after ```key` has been deleted with pthread_key_delete(``) is undefined.

pthread_getspecific(``) may be called from a thread-specific data destructor function.

### RETURN VALUES

The pthread_getspecific(``) function will return the thread-specific data value associated with the given ```key`. If no thread-specific data value is associated with ```key`, then the value NULL is returned.

### ERRORS

None.

### SEE ALSO

pthread_key_create(3), pthread_key_delete(3), pthread_setspecific(3)

### STANDARDS

pthread_getspecific(``) conforms to ISO/IEC 9945-1:1996 (``POSIX.1'') .