ARES\_FREE\_HOSTENT(3) Library Functions Manual ARES\_FREE\_HOSTENT(3) # [NAME](#NAME) ares\_free\_hostent - Free host structure allocated by ares functions # [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS) ``` #include void ares_free_hostent(struct hostent *host) ``` # [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION) The *ares\_free\_hostent* function frees a **struct hostent** allocated by one of the functions [*ares\_parse\_a\_reply(3)*](/man/os/c-ares/ares_parse_a_reply.3), [*ares\_parse\_aaaa\_reply(3)*](/man/os/c-ares/ares_parse_aaaa_reply.3), or [*ares\_parse\_ptr\_reply(3)*](/man/os/c-ares/ares_parse_ptr_reply.3). # [NOTES](#NOTES) It is not necessary (and is not correct) to free the host structure passed to the callback functions for [*ares\_gethostbyname(3)*](/man/os/c-ares/ares_gethostbyname.3) or [*ares\_gethostbyaddr(3)*](/man/os/c-ares/ares_gethostbyaddr.3). c-ares will automatically free such host structures when the callback returns. # [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO) [**ares\_parse\_a\_reply**(3)](/man/os/c-ares/ares_parse_a_reply.3), [**ares\_parse\_aaaa\_reply**(3)](/man/os/c-ares/ares_parse_aaaa_reply.3), [**ares\_parse\_ptr\_reply**(3)](/man/os/c-ares/ares_parse_ptr_reply.3), [**ares\_parse\_ns\_reply**(3)](/man/os/c-ares/ares_parse_ns_reply.3) 23 July 1998 --- Document: ares_free_hostent(3) from c-ares 1.34.9-r0 (Chainguard OS) Source: https://github.com/c-ares/c-ares