tmpnam(3S)                                                tmpnam(3S)


       NAME
             tmpnam, tempnam - create a name for a temporary file

       SYNOPSIS
             #include <stdio.h>
             char *tmpnam(char *s);
             char *tempnam(const char *dir, const char *pfx);

       DESCRIPTION
             These functions generate file names that can safely be used
             for a temporary file.

             tmpnam always generates a file name using the path-prefix
             defined as P_tmpdir in the stdio.h header file.  If s is NULL,
             tmpnam leaves its result in an internal static area and
             returns a pointer to that area.  The next call to tmpnam will
             destroy the contents of the area.  If s is not NULL, it is
             assumed to be the address of an array of at least L_tmpnam
             bytes, where L_tmpnam is a constant defined in stdio.h; tmpnam
             places its result in that array and returns s.

             tempnam 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 a name for an appropriate directory, the
             path-prefix defined as P_tmpdir in the stdio.h header file is
             used.  If that directory is not accessible, /tmp will be used
             as a last resort.  This entire sequence can be up-staged by
             providing an environment variable TMPDIR in the user's
             environment, whose value is the name of the desired
             temporary-file directory.

             Many applications prefer their temporary files to have certain
             favorite initial letter sequences in their names.  Use the pfx
             argument for this.  This argument may be NULL or point to a
             string of up to five characters to be used as the first few
             characters of the temporary-file name.

             tempnam uses malloc to get space for the constructed file
             name, and returns a pointer to this area.  Thus, any pointer
             value returned from tempnam may serve as an argument to free
             [see malloc(3C)].  If tempnam cannot return the expected
             result for any reason- for example, malloc failed-or none of
             the above mentioned attempts to find an appropriate directory
             was successful, a NULL pointer will be returned.



                           Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc.               Page 1

      tmpnam(3S)                                                tmpnam(3S)


            tempnam fails if there is not enough space.

         Files
            p_tmpdir

            /var/tmp

      REFERENCES
            creat(2), fopen(3S), malloc(3C), mktemp(3C), tmpfile(3S),
            unlink(2)

      NOTICES
            These functions generate a different file name each time they
            are called.

            Files created using these functions and either fopen or creat
            are temporary only in the sense that they reside in a
            directory intended for temporary use, and their names are
            unique.  It is the user's responsibility to remove the file
            when its use is ended.

            If called more than TMP_MAX (defined in stdio.h) times in a
            single process, these functions start recycling previously
            used names.

            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 mktemp and the file names
            are chosen to render duplication by other means unlikely.

            When used in a multi-threaded application, tmpnam should have
            a non-NULL argument.















                          Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc.               Page 2