xref: /curl/docs/libcurl/libcurl-share.md (revision 8c1d9378)
1---
2c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
3SPDX-License-Identifier: curl
4Title: libcurl-share
5Section: 3
6Source: libcurl
7See-also:
8  - curl_share_cleanup (3)
9  - curl_share_init (3)
10  - curl_share_setopt (3)
11  - libcurl-easy (3)
12  - libcurl-errors (3)
13  - libcurl-multi (3)
14Protocol:
15  - All
16Added-in: n/a
17---
18
19# NAME
20
21libcurl-share - how to use the share interface
22
23# DESCRIPTION
24
25This is an overview on how to use the libcurl share interface in your C
26programs. There are specific man pages for each function mentioned in
27here.
28
29All functions in the share interface are prefixed with curl_share.
30
31# OBJECTIVES
32
33The share interface was added to enable sharing of data between curl handles.
34
35# ONE SET OF DATA - MANY TRANSFERS
36
37You can have multiple easy handles share data between them. Have them update
38and use the **same** cookie database, DNS cache, TLS session cache and/or
39connection cache! This way, each single transfer takes advantage from data
40updates made by the other transfer(s).
41
42# SHARE OBJECT
43
44You create a shared object with curl_share_init(3). It returns a handle
45for a newly created one.
46
47You tell the shared object what data you want it to share by using
48curl_share_setopt(3).
49
50Since you can use this share from multiple threads, and libcurl has no
51internal thread synchronization, you must provide mutex callbacks if you are
52using this multi-threaded. You set lock and unlock functions with
53curl_share_setopt(3) too.
54
55Then, you make an easy handle to use this share, you set the
56CURLOPT_SHARE(3) option with curl_easy_setopt(3), and pass in
57share handle. You can make any number of easy handles share the same share
58handle.
59
60To make an easy handle stop using that particular share, you set
61CURLOPT_SHARE(3) to NULL for that easy handle. To make a handle stop
62sharing a particular data, you can CURLSHOPT_UNSHARE(3) it.
63
64When you are done using the share, make sure that no easy handle is still using
65it, and call curl_share_cleanup(3) on the handle.
66