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NAME

       tmpfile - create a temporary file

SYNOPSIS

       #include <stdio.h>

       FILE *tmpfile(void);

DESCRIPTION

       The  tmpfile()  function  shall  create  a  temporary  file  and open a
       corresponding stream. The file shall be automatically deleted when  all
       references to the file are closed. The file is opened as in fopen() for
       update (w+).

       In some implementations, a permanent file may be  left  behind  if  the
       process  calling  tmpfile()  is killed while it is processing a call to
       tmpfile().

       An error message may be written to standard error if the stream  cannot
       be opened.

RETURN VALUE

       Upon  successful  completion,  tmpfile()  shall return a pointer to the
       stream of the file that is created. Otherwise, it shall return  a  null
       pointer    and set errno to indicate the error.

ERRORS

       The tmpfile() function shall fail if:

       EINTR  A signal was caught during tmpfile().

       EMFILE {OPEN_MAX}  file  descriptors  are currently open in the calling
              process.

       ENFILE The maximum allowable number of files is currently open  in  the
              system.

       ENOSPC The  directory  or  file system which would contain the new file
              cannot be expanded.

       EOVERFLOW
              The file is a regular file and the size of the  file  cannot  be
              represented correctly in an object of type off_t.

       The tmpfile() function may fail if:

       EMFILE {FOPEN_MAX} streams are currently open in the calling process.

       ENOMEM Insufficient storage space is available.

       The following sections are informative.

EXAMPLES

   Creating a Temporary File
       The  following example creates a temporary file for update, and returns
       a pointer to a stream for the created file in the fp variable.

              #include <stdio.h>
              ...
              FILE *fp;

              fp = tmpfile ();

APPLICATION USAGE

       It should be possible to open at least {TMP_MAX} temporary files during
       the  lifetime  of  the program (this limit may be shared with tmpnam())
       and there should be no limit on the number  simultaneously  open  other
       than  this  limit  and  any  limit  on  the  number  of  open  files  (
       {FOPEN_MAX}).

RATIONALE

       None.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

       None.

SEE ALSO

       fopen() ,  tmpnam()  ,  unlink()  ,  the  Base  Definitions  volume  of
       IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, <stdio.h>

COPYRIGHT

       Portions  of  this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form
       from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition, Standard for Information Technology
       --  Portable  Operating  System  Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base
       Specifications Issue 6, Copyright (C) 2001-2003  by  the  Institute  of
       Electrical  and  Electronics  Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. In the
       event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and
       The  Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard
       is the referee document. The original Standard can be  obtained  online
       at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .