Synchronization Functions


GetOverlappedResult Function

Retrieves the results of an overlapped operation on the specified file, named pipe, or communications device.

Syntax

C++
BOOL WINAPI GetOverlappedResult(
  __in   HANDLE hFile,
  __in   LPOVERLAPPED lpOverlapped,
  __out  LPDWORD lpNumberOfBytesTransferred,
  __in   BOOL bWait
);

Parameters

hFile [in]

A handle to the file, named pipe, or communications device. This is the same handle that was specified when the overlapped operation was started by a call to the ReadFile, WriteFile, ConnectNamedPipe, TransactNamedPipe, DeviceIoControl, or WaitCommEvent function.

lpOverlapped [in]

A pointer to an OVERLAPPED structure that was specified when the overlapped operation was started.

lpNumberOfBytesTransferred [out]

A pointer to a variable that receives the number of bytes that were actually transferred by a read or write operation. For a TransactNamedPipe operation, this is the number of bytes that were read from the pipe. For a DeviceIoControl operation, this is the number of bytes of output data returned by the device driver. For a ConnectNamedPipe or WaitCommEvent operation, this value is undefined.

bWait [in]

If this parameter is TRUE, the function does not return until the operation has been completed. If this parameter is FALSE and the operation is still pending, the function returns FALSE and the GetLastError function returns ERROR_IO_INCOMPLETE.

Return Value

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks

The results reported by the GetOverlappedResult function are those of the specified handle's last overlapped operation to which the specified OVERLAPPED structure was provided, and for which the operation's results were pending. A pending operation is indicated when the function that started the operation returns FALSE, and the GetLastError function returns ERROR_IO_PENDING. When an I/O operation is pending, the function that started the operation resets the hEvent member of the OVERLAPPED structure to the nonsignaled state. Then when the pending operation has been completed, the system sets the event object to the signaled state.

Specify a manual-reset event object in the OVERLAPPED structure. If an auto-reset event object is used, the event handle must not be specified in any other wait operation in the interval between starting the overlapped operation and the call to GetOverlappedResult. For example, the event object is sometimes specified in one of the wait functions to wait for the operation's completion. When the wait function returns, the system sets an auto-reset event's state to nonsignaled, and a subsequent call to GetOverlappedResult with the bWait parameter set to TRUE causes the function to be blocked indefinitely.

If the bWait parameter is TRUE, GetOverlappedResult determines whether the pending operation has been completed by waiting for the event object to be in the signaled state.

If the hEvent member of the OVERLAPPED structure is NULL, the system uses the state of the hFile handle to signal when the operation has been completed. Use of file, named pipe, or communications-device handles for this purpose is discouraged. It is safer to use an event object because of the confusion that can occur when multiple simultaneous overlapped operations are performed on the same file, named pipe, or communications device. In this situation, there is no way to know which operation caused the object's state to be signaled.

Examples

For an example that uses GetOverlappedResult, see Testing for the End of a File.

Requirements

Minimum supported client

Windows 2000 Professional

Minimum supported server

Windows 2000 Server

Header

Winbase.h (include Windows.h)

Library

Kernel32.lib

DLL

Kernel32.dll

See Also

CancelIo
ConnectNamedPipe
CreateEvent
DeviceIoControl
GetLastError
OVERLAPPED
Overlapped Input and Output
ReadFile
Synchronization Functions
TransactNamedPipe
WaitCommEvent
WriteFile

 

 

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Build date: 2/4/2010

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Pavel A
See also: Win7 fix for a bug introduced in Vista
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd371711(VS.85).aspx

  • Windows 7: Resolves a race condition where a multi-threaded app using GetOverlappedResult can return without resetting the event in the overlapped structure, causing the next call to this function to return prematurely.
  • Windows Vista (default): Provides the behavior with the race condition that applications may have a dependency on. Applications wishing to avoid this race prior to the Windows 7 behavior should wait on the overlapped event and when signaled, call GetOverlappedResult with bWait == FALSE. "
  • Tags : win7

    HPatzke
    Clarification needed !
    For using overlapped I/O, the documentation of ReadFile states:
    The value returned in lpNumberOfBytesWritten is indeterminate. Use the GetOverlappedResult function to get the actual number of bytes read.
    Note: An overlapped ReadFile can also complete immediately (return value TRUE).

    The above GetOverlappedResult documentation states:
    The results reported by the GetOverlappedResult function are those of the specified handle's last overlapped operation to which the specified OVERLAPPED structure was provided, and for which the operation's results were pending.
    My problem:

    • If ReadFile is invoked with an OVERLAPPED structure, the value for "returned number of bytes" is invalid.
    • But if ReadFile completes immediately, the GetOverlappedResult function result is not defined, too. (There was no pending operation.)
    How / when do I get the number of bytes read?


    (Also we observed that using an USB pipe, GetOverlappedResult never blocks, even if the last parameter is set to TRUE, and even if the event is explicitly cleared with ResetEvent immediately before calling GetOverlappedResult. Why?)
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    Skibbles
    Re : Clarification needed !
    The proper use of ReadFile and GetOverlappedResult is explained at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156932.

    If ReadFile returns TRUE, then lpNumberOfBytesRead from ReadFile is the value to use. If ReadFile returns FALSE, GetLastError returns ERROR_IO_PENDING, and GetOverlappedResult returns TRUE, then lpNumberOfBytesTransferred from GetOverlappedResult is the value to use.
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