Very Computer

I have a ksh script that redirects stderr to a file:

exec 2>> ${ERROR_FILE}

at the end of the script I want to remove the ERROR_FILE if it is empty
(so I don't have a bunch of zero byte files sitting around).  Is it ok
for me to do the following:

if [ ! -s "${ERRORFILE}" ]
then
    # empty file...so no errors!
    /usr/bin/rm -f ${ERRORFILE}
else
    # write date to error file (for debugging purposes)
    /usr/bin/date >&2
    echo >&2
fi

What I'm wondering is whether or not I have to close stderr before
checking that it is empty.  None of the commands in the shell script are
ran in the background.

Is there a better way to do this?

Thanks,
Don

--
Donald S. Mitchell
AT&T
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On Thu, 18 Dec 1997 09:50:47 -0500, Donald Mitchell

  By default, output to a terminal is line-buffered and all other
    input/output is fully buffered.

perhaps judicious use of
2>&- is called for?

Quote:>What I'm wondering is whether or not I have to close stderr before
>checking that it is empty.  None of the commands in the shell script are
>ran in the background.

Also, stdio makes a special exception to its normal buffering rules for
stderr.  All other streams are fully buffered unless they're going to a
terminal, but stderr is line buffered by default.

So it should be safe for your script to check the file before closing it.

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