IO::File::AtomicChange - change content of a file atomically

truncate and write to temporary file. When you call $fh->close, replace target file with temporary file preserved permission and owner (if possible).

  use IO::File::AtomicChange;

  my $fh = IO::File::AtomicChange->new("foo.conf", "w");
  $fh->print("# create new file\n");
  $fh->print("foo\n");
  $fh->print("bar\n");
  $fh->close; # MUST CALL close EXPLICITLY

If you specify "backup_dir", save original file into backup directory (like "/var/backup/foo.conf_YYYY-MM-DD_HHMMSS_PID") before replace.

  my $fh = IO::File::AtomicChange->new("foo.conf", "a",
                                       { backup_dir => "/var/backup/" });
  $fh->print("# append\n");
  $fh->print("baz\n");
  $fh->print("qux\n");
  $fh->close; # MUST CALL close EXPLICITLY

IO::File::AtomicChange is intended for people who need to update files reliably and atomically.

For example, in the case of generating a configuration file, you should be careful about aborting generator program or be loaded by other program in halfway writing.

IO::File::AtomicChange free you from such a painful situation and boring code.

  * open
    1. fix filename of temporary file by mktemp.
    2. if target file already exists, copy target file to temporary file preserving permission and owner.
    3. open temporary file and return its file handle.

  * write
    1. write date into temporary file.

  * close
    1. close temporary file.
    2. if target file exists and specified "backup_dir" option, copy target file into backup directory preserving permission and owner, mtime.
    3. rename temporary file to target file.

You must call "$fh->close" explicitly when commit changes.

Currently, "close $fh" or "undef $fh" don't affect target file. So if you exit without calling "$fh->close", CHANGES ARE DISCARDED.

HIROSE Masaaki <hirose31 _at_ gmail.com>

kazuho gave me many shrewd advice.

http://github.com/hirose31/p5-io-file-atomicchange/tree/master

  git clone git://github.com/hirose31/p5-io-file-atomicchange.git

patches and collaborators are welcome.

IO::File, IO::AtomicFile, File::AtomicWrite

Copyright HIROSE Masaaki 2009-

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.