TIFFCREATEDIRECTORY(3tiff) LibTIFF TIFFCREATEDIRECTORY(3tiff)

NAME

TIFFCreateDirectory - routines to create a directory and retrieve
information about directories

SYNOPSIS

#include <tiffio.h>

int TIFFCreateDirectory(TIFF *tif)

int TIFFFreeDirectory(TIFF *tif)

int TIFFUnlinkDirectory(TIFF *tif, tdir_t dirn)

DESCRIPTION

The following routines create or release a directory.

TIFFCreateDirectory() setup for a directory in a open TIFF file. The
newly created directory will not exist on the file till
TIFFWriteDirectory(), TIFFCheckpointDirectory(), TIFFFlush() or
TIFFClose() is called. TIFFWriteDirectory() also creates a new
directory, frees the *tif structure and sets up a new one.

TIFFFreeDirectory() releases allocated storage associated with a
directory, especially custom-fields. However, the main part of the
directory is not touched. Routine TIFFCleanup() calls
TIFFFreeDirectory() to release the directory part of the tif
structure.

TIFFUnlinkDirectory() unlink the specified directory from the
directory chain. The parameter dirn specifies the subfile/directory
as an integer number, with the first directory numbered one (1).
This is different to TIFFSetDirectory() or TIFFCurrentDirectory()
where the first directory starts with zero (0).

Directory query functions TIFFCurrentDirectory(),
TIFFCurrentDirOffset(), TIFFLastDirectory() and
TIFFNumberOfDirectories() retrieve information about directories in
an open TIFF file. Be aware that until a directory is not written to
file AND read back, the query functions won't retrieve the correct
information!

NOTES

Be aware:

+o that until a directory is not written to file AND read back, the
query functions won't retrieve the correct information!

+o that the newly created directory will not exist on the file till
TIFFWriteDirectory(), TIFFCheckpointDirectory(), TIFFFlush() or
TIFFClose() has been called.

+o that TIFFCreateDirectory() and TIFFWriteDirectory() create a new
directory, free the *tif structure and set up a new one.

+o that unlike TIFFWriteDirectory(), TIFFCheckpointDirectory() does
not free up the directory data structures in memory.

After libtiff version 4.6.0 TIFFCreateDirectory() also releases the
directory part of the tif structure by calling TIFFFreeDirectory(),
which should have been called by the user application before creating
a new directory.

DIAGNOSTICS

All error messages are directed to the TIFFErrorExtR() routine.
Likewise, warning messages are directed to the TIFFWarningExtR()
routine.

SEE ALSO

libtiff (3tiff), TIFFCustomDirectory (3tiff), TIFFquery (3tiff),
TIFFSetDirectory (3tiff), TIFFWriteDirectory (3tiff)

AUTHOR

LibTIFF contributors

COPYRIGHT

1988-2025, LibTIFF contributors

4.7 March 7, 2026 TIFFCREATEDIRECTORY(3tiff)