---
name: tell
status: documented
runtime: pp
source: src/runtime/pp/io.rs
---
```{index} single: tell; Perl built-in (pp runtime)
```

# tell

## Synopsis

```perl
$pos = tell($fh);    # position in $fh
$pos = tell();       # position in last-read filehandle
```

## Description

Returns the current byte position in a filehandle.

Returns the current read/write position (in bytes) for the given
filehandle, or for the most recently read filehandle when called
without arguments. Returns -1 on error or when no filehandle is
available.

The returned value is suitable as the POSITION argument to `seek`.

## See also

seek, eof, sysseek