isCOBOL Evolve : Appendices : Library Routines : C$CREATE_TMP_FILE
C$CREATE_TMP_FILE
The C$CREATE_TMP_FILE library routine creates a temporary file and returns its name.
The file will be handled as a normal sequential file whose physical name is the one returned by the routine. The program logic must take care of deleting the file when it’s no longer necessary.
Syntax
 CALL "C$CREATE_TMP_FILE" USING fileName
                               [filePrefix]
                               [fileSuffix]
                               [directory]
                         GIVING returnCode
Parameters
fileName
PIC X(n)
Receives the name of the temporary file that has been created. It must be large enough to store the name, otherwise an error occurs.
filePrefix
PIC X(n)
Optional. Prefix to be placed at the beginning of the file name. If omitted, or less than 3 digits, then underscores are placed at the beginning of the file name.
fileSuffix
PIC X(n)
Optional. Suffix to be placed at the end of the file name.
directory
PIC X(n)
Optional. Directory in which to create the file. If omitted, the file is created in the user Temp folder.
Return code:
returnCode can be any numeric data item and provides additional information:
0
Operation successful.
1
The file couldn’t be created
2
fileName is missing or it is not big enough to store the full path-name, the file is removed
Examples:
Example - Create a temporary file to store some customers data
working-storage section.
77 dest-file pic x(512).
77 retCode   pic s9(5).
...
procedure division.
...
   call "c$create_tmp_file" using
        dest-file "cust_" ".tmp" "/myapp/tmp"
        giving retCode
   if retCode = 0
      display message "Temp file was created"
   else
      display message "Error creating temp file"
   end-if.