.TH "file descriptor" "" "" Definition
.PC
.PP
A
.B "file descriptor"
is an integer that indexes an area in \*(CO's internal list of
file descriptors.
\*(CO system calls, including
.BR open() ,
.BR close() ,
and
.BR lseek() ,
use it to describe a file.
.PP
Please note that a file descriptor is \fInot\fR the
same as a
.B FILE
structure, which is used by the STDIO routines
.BR fopen() ,
.BR fclose() ,
or
.BR fread() .
.SH "See Also"
.Xr "file," file
.Xr "FILE," file.d
.Xr "Programming COHERENT" programmi
