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# New Ticket Created by "Lauder, Andy"
# Please include the string: [perl #29883]
# in the subject line of all future correspondence about this issue.
# <URL: http://rt.perl.org:80/rt3/Ticket/Display.html?id=29883 >
Why does perl perform a seek before the close of a file?
I'm using Perl 5.8.3 on Solaris 8 and I'm seeing a problem with the 'close'
function (either explicitly called by using the 'close' perl function or
implicitly called by exiting a child subroutine with the file left open).
If I use the following program:
open FIN, "test.input";
$transaction_no = 0;
while($line = <FIN>)
{
$transaction_no++;
if ($child_pid = fork)
{
print "$$ processing line :$line: :$transaction_no:
:".tell(FIN).":\n";
waitpid $child_pid,0;
}
elsif (defined $child_pid)
{
sleep 1;
exit 0;
}
}
together with the following input file (test.input):
LINE 1
LINE 2
LINE 3
LINE 4
LINE 5
and then run the program, I get:
14097 processing line :LINE 1
: :1: :7:
14097 processing line :LINE 2
: :2: :-14:
14097 processing line :LINE 3
: :3: :-7:
14097 processing line :LINE 4
: :4: :0:
14097 processing line :LINE 5
: :5: :0:
14097 processing line :LINE 1
: :6: :7:
14097 processing line :LINE 2
: :7: :-14:
14097 processing line :LINE 3
: :8: :-7:
14097 processing line :LINE 4
: :9: :0:
14097 processing line :LINE 5
: :10: :0:
14097 processing line :LINE 1
: :11: :7:
14097 processing line :LINE 2
: :12: :-14:
etc
etc
etc
In other words, the program never ends but loops continuously through the
file as though it has missed the EOF. Note that the field showing the
result of the 'tell' function seems to be counting down, goes through 0 and
repeats again.
Using the UNIX command 'truss' reveals that the child process is using a
'seek' command just before the file is closed which seems to be causing the
parent to miss the EOF marker.
Note that if the file is explicitly closed in the child subroutine, the same
problem occurs.
Why does perl perform a seek before the close?
Is this a bug?
Regards,
Andy Lauder
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