tmpfile

  • PHP’s tmpfile function returns a resource to a temporarily file, opened with mode w+.

    PHP

    $f = tmpfile();
fwrite($f, 'foo');
rewind($f);
 
var_export(fread($f));
//=> 'foo'
 
fclose($f);

    Ruby’s Tempfile class is a special kind of File that accomplishes the same task.

    Unlike PHP’s tmpfile which names the file without any parameters, you must specify a prefix that Tempfile will use to build the filename.

    Ruby

    require 'tempfile'
 
Tempfile.open('prefix') do |f|
  f.write('foo')
  f.rewind
 
  p f.read
  #=> "foo"
 
  f.unlink
end

    Like any other File in Ruby, it’s a best practice in Rails applications to always open Tempfile instances with a block as shown above. For more on this, please see fopen.

    In PHP, the file is automatically unlinked when closed or at the end of the request. In Ruby, this is not the case, even within the context of the Rails framework.

    Instead, Tempfile defines a finalizer which unlinks the file. However, the finalizer will not be called until the object is deferenced and collected by Ruby’s garbage collector. Since the garbage collection interval is indeterminate, we recommend that you always explicitly unlink any Tempfile when you are done with it.

    see also

← symlink touch →

Looking for Rails or PHP web application development, integration, and training?

Rails for PHP is brought to you by Maintainable Software. Get custom web applications and personalized training from the authors of the book and website.