curlGlobalInit {RCurl} | R Documentation

## Start and stop the Curl library

### Description

These functions provide a way to both start/initialize and stop/uninitialize the libcurl engine. There is no need to call `curlGlobalInit` as it is done implicitly the first time one uses the libcurl facilities. However, this function does permit one to explicitly control how it is initialized. Specifically, on Windows one might want to avoid re-initializing the Win32 socket facilities if the host application (e.g. R) has already done this.

`curlGlobalInit` should only be called once per R session. Subsequent calls will have no effect, or may confuse the libcurl engine.

One can reclaim the resources the libcurl engine is consuming via the `curlGlobalCleanup` function when one no longer needs the libcurl facilities in an R session.

### Usage

    curlGlobalInit(flags = c("ssl", "win32"))
    curlGlobalCleanup()

### Arguments

`flags` | flags indicating which features to activate. These come from the `CurlGlobalBits` bit-field. The default is to activate both SSL and Win32 sockets (if on Windows). One can specify either the names of the features that are matched (via `setBitIndicators`) or the integer value.

### Value

`curlGobalInit` returns a status code which should be 0. `curlGlobalCleanup` returns `NULL` in all cases.

### Author(s)

Duncan Temple Lang <duncan@wald.ucdavis.edu>

### References

Curl homepage http://curl.haxx.se

### See Also

`getCurlHandle` `curlPerform`

### Examples

        # Activate only the SSL.
     curlGlobalInit("ssl")

    ## Not run:
    # Don't run these automatically as we should only call this function
    # once per R session

        # Everything, the default.
     curlGlobalInit()

       # Nothing.
     curlGlobalInit("none")
     curlGlobalInit(0)
    ## End(Not run)

[Package RCurl version 0.98-1 Index]