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FileHandle(3)          Perl Programmers Reference Guide          FileHandle(3)



NAME
       FileHandle - supply object methods for filehandles

SYNOPSIS
           use FileHandle;

           $fh = new FileHandle;
           if(3,n) ($fh->open(2,3,n)("< file(1,n)")) {
               print <$fh>;
               $fh->close(2,7,n);
           }

           $fh = new FileHandle "> FOO";
           if(3,n) (defined $fh) {
               print $fh "bar\n";
               $fh->close(2,7,n);
           }

           $fh = new FileHandle "file(1,n)", "r";
           if(3,n) (defined $fh) {
               print <$fh>;
               undef $fh;       # automatically closes the file(1,n)
           }

           $fh = new FileHandle "file(1,n)", O_WRONLY|O_APPEND;
           if(3,n) (defined $fh) {
               print $fh "corge\n";
               undef $fh;       # automatically closes the file(1,n)
           }

           $pos = $fh->getpos;
           $fh->setpos($pos);

           $fh->setvbuf($buffer_var, _IOLBF, 1024);

           ($readfh, $writefh) = FileHandle::pipe;

           autoflush STDOUT 1;

DESCRIPTION
       NOTE: This class is now a front-end to the IO::* classes.

       "FileHandle::new" creates a "FileHandle", which is a reference to a
       newly created symbol (see the "Symbol" package).  If it receives any
       parameters, they are passed to "FileHandle::open"; if(3,n) the open(2,3,n) fails,
       the "FileHandle" object is destroyed.  Otherwise, it is returned to the
       caller.

       "FileHandle::new_from_fd" creates a "FileHandle" like "new" does.  It
       requires two parameters, which are passed to "FileHandle::fdopen"; if(3,n)
       the fdopen fails, the "FileHandle" object is destroyed.  Otherwise, it
       is returned to the caller.

       "FileHandle::open" accepts one parameter or two.  With one parameter,
       it is just a front end for the built-in "open(2,3,n)" function.  With two
       parameters, the first parameter is a filename that may include white-
       space or other special characters, and the second parameter is the open(2,3,n)
       mode, optionally followed by a file(1,n) permission value.

       If "FileHandle::open" receives a Perl mode string(3,n) (">", "+<", etc.)  or
       a POSIX fopen() mode string(3,n) ("w", "r+", etc.), it uses the basic Perl
       "open(2,3,n)" operator.

       If "FileHandle::open" is given a numeric mode, it passes that mode and
       the optional permissions value to the Perl "sysopen" operator.  For
       convenience, "FileHandle::import" tries to import the O_XXX constants
       from the Fcntl module.  If dynamic loading is not available, this may
       fail, but the rest of FileHandle will still work.

       "FileHandle::fdopen" is like "open(2,3,n)" except that its first parameter is
       not a filename but rather a file(1,n) handle name, a FileHandle object, or a
       file(1,n) descriptor number.

       If the C functions fgetpos() and fsetpos() are available, then "File-
       Handle::getpos" returns an opaque value that represents the current
       position of the FileHandle, and "FileHandle::setpos" uses that value to
       return to a previously visited position.

       If the C function setvbuf() is available, then "FileHandle::setvbuf"
       sets the buffering policy for the FileHandle.  The calling sequence for
       the Perl function is the same as its C counterpart, including the
       macros "_IOFBF", "_IOLBF", and "_IONBF", except that the buffer parame-
       ter specifies a scalar variable to use as a buffer.  WARNING: A vari-
       able used as a buffer by "FileHandle::setvbuf" must not be modified in(1,8)
       any way until the FileHandle is closed or until "FileHandle::setvbuf"
       is called again, or memory corruption may result!

       See perlfunc for complete descriptions of each of the following sup-
       ported "FileHandle" methods, which are just front ends for the corre-
       sponding built-in functions:

           close(2,7,n)
           fileno
           getc
           gets(3,n)
           eof
           clearerr
           seek
           tell

       See perlvar for complete descriptions of each of the following sup-
       ported "FileHandle" methods:

           autoflush
           output_field_separator
           output_record_separator
           input_record_separator
           input_line_number
           format_page_number
           format_lines_per_page
           format_lines_left
           format_name
           format_top_name
           format_line_break_characters
           format_formfeed

       Furthermore, for doing normal I/O you might need these:

       $fh->print
           See "print" in(1,8) perlfunc.

       $fh->printf(1,3,1 builtins)
           See "printf(1,3,1 builtins)" in(1,8) perlfunc.

       $fh->getline
           This works like <$fh> described in(1,8) "I/O Operators" in(1,8) perlop except
           that it's more readable and can be safely called in(1,8) a list context
           but still returns just one line.

       $fh->getlines
           This works like <$fh> when called in(1,8) a list context to read(2,n,1 builtins) all the
           remaining lines in(1,8) a file(1,n), except that it's more readable.  It will
           also croak() if(3,n) accidentally called in(1,8) a scalar context.

       There are many other functions available since FileHandle is descended
       from IO::File, IO::Seekable, and IO::Handle.  Please see those respec-
       tive pages for documentation on more functions.

SEE ALSO
       The IO extension, perlfunc, "I/O Operators" in(1,8) perlop.



perl v5.8.5                       2001-09-21                     FileHandle(3)