# 17.2.330. MPI_Sizeof

MPI_Sizeof — Returns the size, in bytes, of the given type

## 17.2.330.1. SYNTAX

### 17.2.330.1.1. Fortran Syntax

    USE MPI
    ! or the older form: INCLUDE 'mpif.h'
    MPI_SIZEOF(X, SIZE, IERROR)
    <type>       X
    INTEGER      SIZE, IERROR

### 17.2.330.1.2. Fortran 2008 Syntax

    USE mpi_f08
    MPI_Sizeof(x, size, ierror)
         TYPE(*), DIMENSION(..) :: x
         INTEGER, INTENT(OUT) :: size
         INTEGER, OPTIONAL, INTENT(OUT) :: ierror

## 17.2.330.2. INPUT PARAMETER

- `X`: A Fortran variable of numeric intrinsic type (choice).

## 17.2.330.3. OUTPUT PARAMETERS

- `SIZE`: Size of machine representation of that type (integer).

- `ierror`: Error status (integer).

## 17.2.330.4. DESCRIPTION

MPI_Sizeof returns the size (in bytes) of the machine representation of the given variable. It is a generic Fortran type and has a Fortran binding only. This routine is similar to the sizeof builtin in C. However, if given an array argument, it returns the size of the base element, not the size of the whole array.

## 17.2.330.5. NOTES

This function is not available in C because it is not necessary.

## 17.2.330.6. ERRORS

Almost all MPI routines return an error value; C routines as the return result of the function and Fortran routines in the last argument.

Before the error value is returned, the current MPI error handler associated with the communication object (e.g., communicator, window, file) is called. If no communication object is associated with the MPI call, then the call is considered attached to MPI_COMM_SELF and will call the associated MPI error handler. When MPI_COMM_SELF is not initialized (i.e., before MPI_Init/MPI_Init_thread, after MPI_Finalize, or when using the Sessions Model exclusively) the error raises the initial error handler. The initial error handler can be changed by calling MPI_Comm_set_errhandler on MPI_COMM_SELF when using the World model, or the mpi_initial_errhandler CLI argument to mpiexec or info key to MPI_Comm_spawn/MPI_Comm_spawn_multiple. If no other appropriate error handler has been set, then the MPI_ERRORS_RETURN error handler is called for MPI I/O functions and the MPI_ERRORS_ABORT error handler is called for all other MPI functions.

Open MPI includes three predefined error handlers that can be used:

- `MPI_ERRORS_ARE_FATAL` Causes the program to abort all connected MPI processes.

- `MPI_ERRORS_ABORT` An error handler that can be invoked on a communicator, window, file, or session. When called on a communicator, it acts as if MPI_Abort was called on that communicator. If called on a window or file, acts as if MPI_Abort was called on a communicator containing the group of processes in the corresponding window or file. If called on a session, aborts only the local process.

- `MPI_ERRORS_RETURN` Returns an error code to the application.

MPI applications can also implement their own error handlers by calling:

- MPI_Comm_create_errhandler then MPI_Comm_set_errhandler

- MPI_File_create_errhandler then MPI_File_set_errhandler

- MPI_Session_create_errhandler then MPI_Session_set_errhandler or at MPI_Session_init

- MPI_Win_create_errhandler then MPI_Win_set_errhandler

Note that MPI does not guarantee that an MPI program can continue past an error.

See the MPI man page for a full list of MPI error codes.

See the Error Handling section of the MPI-3.1 standard for more information.