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.TH libcurl-share 3 "8 Aug 2003" "libcurl 7.10.7" "libcurl share interface"
.SH NAME
libcurl-share \- how to use the share interface
.SH DESCRIPTION
This is an overview on how to use the libcurl share interface in your C
programs. There are specific man pages for each function mentioned in
here.

All functions in the share interface are prefixed with curl_share.

.SH "OBJECTIVES"
The share interface was added to enable sharing of data between curl
\&"handles".
.SH "ONE SET OF DATA - MANY TRANSFERS"
You can have multiple easy handles share data between them. Have them update
and use the \fBsame\fP cookie database or DNS cache! This way, each single
transfer will take advantage from data updates made by the other transfer(s).
.SH "SHARE OBJECT"
You create a shared object with \fIcurl_share_init()\fP. It returns a handle
for a newly created one.

You tell the shared object what data you want it to share by using
\fIcurl_share_setopt()\fP. Currently you can only share DNS and/or COOKIE
data.

Since you can use this share from multiple threads, and libcurl has no
internal thread synchronization, you must provide mutex callbacks if you're
using this multi-threaded. You set lock and unlock functions with
\fIcurl_share_setopt()\fP too.

Then, you make an easy handle to use this share, you set the CURLOPT_SHARE
option with \fIcurl_easy_setopt\fP, and pass in share handle. You can make any
number of easy handles share the same share handle.

To make an easy handle stop using that particular share, you set CURLOPT_SHARE
to NULL for that easy handle. To make a handle stop sharing a particular data,
you can CURLSHOPT_UNSHARE it.

When you're done using the share, make sure that no easy handle is still using
it, and call \fIcurl_share_cleanup()\fP on the handle.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR curl_share_init "(3), " curl_share_setopt "(3), " curl_share_cleanup "(3)"