1mNAME0m
       close - Close an open channel.

1mSYNOPSIS0m
       1mclose 4m22mchannelId0m


1mDESCRIPTION0m
       Closes  the  channel  given  by 4mchannelId24m.  4mChannelId24m must be a channel
       identifier such as the return value from a previous 1mopen 22mor 1msocket 22mcom-
       mand.   All  buffered output is flushed to the channel's output device,
       any buffered input is discarded,  the  underlying  file  or  device  is
       closed, and 4mchannelId24m becomes unavailable for use.

       If  the channel is blocking, the command does not return until all out-
       put is flushed.  If the channel is nonblocking and there  is  unflushed
       output,  the  channel remains open and the command returns immediately;
       output will be flushed in the background and the channel will be closed
       when all the flushing is complete.

       If  4mchannelId24m  is  a blocking channel for a command pipeline then 1mclose0m
       waits for the child processes to complete.

       If the channel is shared between interpreters, then 1mclose  22mmakes  4mchan-0m
       4mnelId24m  unavailable  in the invoking interpreter but has no other effect
       until all of the sharing interpreters have closed  the  channel.   When
       the  last interpreter in which the channel is registered invokes 1mclose22m,
       the cleanup actions described above occur. See the 1minterp 22mcommand for a
       description of channel sharing.

       Channels  are automatically closed when an interpreter is destroyed and
       when the process exits.  Channels are switched  to  blocking  mode,  to
       ensure that all output is correctly flushed before the process exits.

       The  command  returns  an empty string, and may generate an error if an
       error occurs while flushing output.


1mSEE ALSO0m
       file(n), open(n), socket(n), eof(n)


1mKEYWORDS0m
