'\"
'\" Copyright (c) 1993 The Regents of the University of California.
'\" Copyright (c) 1994-1996 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
'\"
'\" See the file "license.terms" for information on usage and redistribution
'\" of this file, and for a DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES.
'\" 
.TH flush n 7.5 Tcl "Tcl Built-In Commands"
.so man.macros
.BS
'\" Note:  do not modify the .SH NAME line immediately below!
.SH NAME
flush \- Flush buffered output for a channel
.SH SYNOPSIS
\fBflush \fIchannelId\fR
.BE

.SH DESCRIPTION
.PP
Flushes any output that has been buffered for \fIchannelId\fR.
.PP
\fIChannelId\fR must be an identifier for an open channel such as a
Tcl standard channel (\fBstdout\fR or \fBstderr\fR), the return
value from an invocation of \fBopen\fR or \fBsocket\fR, or the result
of a channel creation command provided by a Tcl extension.  The
channel must have been opened for writing.
.PP
If the channel is in blocking mode the command does not return until all the
buffered output has been flushed to the channel. If the channel is in
nonblocking mode, the command may return before all buffered output has been
flushed; the remainder will be flushed in the background as fast as the
underlying file or device is able to absorb it.
.SH EXAMPLE
Prompt for the user to type some information in on the console:
.CS
puts -nonewline "Please type your name: "
\fBflush\fR stdout
gets stdin name
puts "Hello there, $name!"
.CE

.SH "SEE ALSO"
file(n), open(n), socket(n), Tcl_StandardChannels(3)

.SH KEYWORDS
blocking, buffer, channel, flush, nonblocking, output
