tmpnam(3S)																tmpnam(3S)

NAME

       tmpnam(), tempnam() - create a name for a temporary file

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

       and generate file names that can safely be used for a temporary file.

	      Always generates a file name using the path-prefix defined as
			     in  the  header file.  If s is NULL, leaves its result in an internal static area and returns a pointer to that area.
			     The next call to destroys the contents of the area.  If s is not NULL, it is assumed to be the address of an array of
			     at  least	bytes,	where  is  a  constant defined in places its result in that array and returns s.  For multi-thread
			     applications, if s is a NULL pointer, the operation is not performed and a NULL pointer is returned.

	      allows the user to control the choice of a directory.
			     The argument dir points to the name of the directory in which the file is to be created.  If dir is NULL or points to
			     a	string	that is not an appropriate directory name, the path-prefix defined as in the header file is used.  If that
			     directory is not accessible, is used as a last resort.  This entire sequence can be up-staged by providing  an  envi-
			     ronment variable in the user's environment, whose value is the name of the desired temporary-file directory.

       In  order  to request the default behavior for either or a NULL value must be passed in dir and pfx for or in s for If valid parameters are
       not passed in, behavior is undefined.

       Many applications are written such that temporary files have certain initial character sequences in their names.  Use the pfx  argument	to
       define  a  given  prefix.  The argument can be NULL or point to a string of up to five characters to be used as the first characters in the
       temporary-file name.

       uses (see malloc(3C)) to get space for the constructed file name, and returns a pointer to this area.  Thus,  any  pointer  value  returned
       from can serve as an argument to (see malloc(3C)).  If cannot return the expected result for any reason; i.e., failed, or none of the above
       mentioned attempts to find an appropriate directory was successful, a NULL pointer is returned.

   Notes
       and generate a different file name each time they are called, but start recycling previously used names if called more than times in a sin-
       gle process.

       Files created using these functions and either or (see fopen(3S) and creat(2)) are temporary only in the sense that they reside in a direc-
       tory intended for temporary use, and their names are unique.  It is the user's responsibility to use unlink(2) to remove the file  when	it
       is no longer needed.

WARNINGS

       Between	the time a file name is created and the file is opened, it is possible for some other process to create a file with the same name.
       This can never happen if that other process is using these functions or and the file names are chosen such that duplication by other  means
       is unlikely.

SEE ALSO

       creat(2), unlink(2), malloc(3C), mktemp(3C), fopen(3S), tmpfile(3S), thread_safety(5).

STANDARDS CONFORMANCE

																	tmpnam(3S)