std::filesystem::is_socket

Since C++17

Header: <filesystem>

Checks if the given file status or path corresponds to a named IPC socket, as if determined by the POSIX S_IFSOCK.

# Declarations

bool is_socket( std::filesystem::file_status s ) noexcept;

(since C++17)

bool is_socket( const std::filesystem::path& p );

(since C++17)

bool is_socket( const std::filesystem::path& p, std::error_code& ec ) noexcept;

(since C++17)

# Parameters

# Return value

true if the file indicated by p or if the type indicated s refers to a named socket. The non-throwing overload returns false if an error occurs.

# Notes

Named sockets are UNIX domain sockets constructed with socket and bind POSIX APIs, which may be used for advanced interprocess communication. In particular, they may be used to transport open file descriptors from one running process to another.

# Example

#include <cstdio>
#include <cstring>
#include <filesystem>
#include <fstream>
#include <iostream>
#include <sys/socket.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <sys/un.h>
#include <unistd.h>
 
namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 
void demo_status(const fs::path& p, fs::file_status s)
{
    std::cout << p;
    // alternative: switch(s.type()) { case fs::file_type::regular: ...}
    if (fs::is_regular_file(s))
        std::cout << " is a regular file\n";
    if (fs::is_directory(s))
        std::cout << " is a directory\n";
    if (fs::is_block_file(s))
        std::cout << " is a block device\n";
    if (fs::is_character_file(s))
        std::cout << " is a character device\n";
    if (fs::is_fifo(s))
        std::cout << " is a named IPC pipe\n";
    if (fs::is_socket(s))
        std::cout << " is a named IPC socket\n";
    if (fs::is_symlink(s))
        std::cout << " is a symlink\n";
    if (!fs::exists(s))
        std::cout << " does not exist\n";
}
 
int main()
{
    // create files of different kinds
    fs::create_directory("sandbox");
    fs::create_directory("sandbox/dir");
    std::ofstream{"sandbox/file"}; // create regular file
    fs::create_symlink("file", "sandbox/symlink");
 
    mkfifo("sandbox/pipe", 0644);
    sockaddr_un addr;
    addr.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
    std::strcpy(addr.sun_path, "sandbox/sock");
    int fd = socket(PF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
    bind(fd, reinterpret_cast<sockaddr*>(&addr), sizeof addr);
 
    // demo different status accessors
    for (auto it{fs::directory_iterator("sandbox")}; it != fs::directory_iterator(); ++it)
        demo_status(*it, it->symlink_status()); // use cached status from directory entry
    demo_status("/dev/null", fs::status("/dev/null")); // direct calls to status
    demo_status("/dev/sda", fs::status("/dev/sda"));
    demo_status("sandbox/no", fs::status("/sandbox/no"));
 
    // cleanup (prefer std::unique_ptr-based custom deleters)
    close(fd);
    fs::remove_all("sandbox");
}

# See also