php-doc-en/reference/filesystem/functions/tempnam.xml

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  <refentry id="function.tempnam">
   <refnamediv>
    <refname>tempnam</refname>
    <refpurpose>Create file with unique file name</refpurpose>
   </refnamediv>
   <refsect1>
    <title>Description</title>
     <methodsynopsis>
      <type>string</type><methodname>tempnam</methodname>
      <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>dir</parameter></methodparam>
      <methodparam><type>string</type><parameter>prefix</parameter></methodparam>
     </methodsynopsis>
    <para>
     Creates a file with a unique filename in the specified directory.
     If the directory does not exist, <function>tempnam</function> may
     generate a file in the system's temporary directory, and return
     the name of that. 
    </para>
    <para>
     Prior to PHP 4.0.6, the behaviour of the
     <function>tempnam</function> function was system dependent. On
     Windows the TMP environment variable will override the
     <parameter>dir</parameter> parameter, on Linux the TMPDIR
     environment variable has precedence, while SVR4 will always use
     your <parameter>dir</parameter> parameter if the directory it
     points to exists. Consult your system documentation on the
     tempnam(3) function if in doubt.
    </para>
    <note>
     <simpara>
      If PHP cannot create a file in the specified <parameter>dir</parameter>
      parameter, it falls back on the system default.
     </simpara>
    </note>
    <para>
     Returns the new temporary filename, or &false; on
     failure.
     <example>
      <title><function>tempnam</function> example</title>
      <programlisting role="php">
<![CDATA[
<?php
$tmpfname = tempnam("/tmp", "FOO");

$handle = fopen($tmpfname, "w");
fwrite($handle, "writing to tempfile");
fclose($handle);

// do here something

unlink($tmpfname);
?>
]]>
      </programlisting>
     </example>
    </para>
    <note>
     <simpara>
      This function's behavior changed in 4.0.3. The temporary file is also
      created to avoid a race condition where the file might appear in the
      filesystem between the time the string was generated and before
      the script gets around to creating the file. Note, that you need
      to remove the file in case you need it no more, it is not done
      automatically.
     </simpara>
    </note>
    <para>
     See also <function>tmpfile</function> and <function>unlink</function>.
    </para>
   </refsect1>
  </refentry>

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