Very Computer

 How can I get a unique new filename for a temporary file?

 I'm programming in C, and I want to create a temporary file in /tmp.
 Is there any function that gives me a new filename?

Thanks.

[ thanks Icarus, that's your answer :) ]
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Alex Ramirez-Bellido
Computer Science FIB-UPC (Spain)

http://www.bath.ac.uk/~ma6arb/home.htm

"Daddy, what does <formatting drive c mean?>" ...

Try "tmpnam".

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:CONFORMING TO
:       BSD 4.3. POSIX dictates tmpnam().

Try tmpnam() instead if you want portability.

Cordially,

  Sumner

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----------------------

:  How can I get a unique new filename for a temporary file?
:
:  I'm programming in C, and I want to create a temporary file in /tmp.
:  Is there any function that gives me a new filename?

Use getpid() to find out the process number, and integrate this into
a file name.  Works as long as the process is running.

If you want the file to last longer than the process, you'll need to
keep a record of the last name to be used, and create a new filename
from this.  Or use the time.  In both cases you'll need some file locking
if more than one process is doing this at the same time.

        Geoff
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Ever sit and watch ants? They're always busy with                Geoff Short

can't identify with that kind of work ethic. http://kipper.york.ac.uk/~geoff

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Amit Chatterjee

All opinions are mine, not NORTEL's.
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:CONFORMING TO
:       BSD 4.3. POSIX dictates tmpnam().

so tmpnam() is a better choice for portability.

Cordially,

  Sumner

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Respond by post or email, but please don't CC: postings to me; my mailbox
is already quite full.

: >
:
: > Instead, use the available functions mktemp(). It is compliant with
: > SVID2 and XPG2 standards (maybe a part of ISO C standard also but I am
: > not sure).
:
: It's not a part of the ISO C standard.  The mktemp man page says:
:
: :CONFORMING TO
: :       BSD 4.3. POSIX dictates tmpnam().
:
: so tmpnam() is a better choice for portability.
:
According to the POSIX Programmers Guide (A great book by the way),

tmpnam () - Generates a string that is a valid non-existing file name.

#include <stdio.h>
char *tmpnam (char *s);

Generates a string that is a valid filename and is not the name of an
existing file.  The tmpnam() function generates a different name each time
it is called up to TMP_MAX times.

There is also a note that the BSD function mktemp() must be replaced by
tmpnam for POSIX compatability.

Do a man tmpnam, or buy the book for more info.

Andrae Muys.

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