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From: aland@infmx.UUCP (Dr. Scump)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Bug in MS C unlink() ?
Summary: should it be legal to unlink() an open file in MS C?
Keywords: unlink MS clusters Turbo_I-Net
Message-ID: <1032@infmx.UUCP>
Date: 9 Mar 89 03:26:01 GMT
Organization: Informix Software Inc., Menlo Park, CA.
Lines: 26

I ran into a nasty problem with unlink() in Microsoft C's unlink()
call (MS C 4.0 and 5.1).  It seems that if one unlinks an *open*
file on a hard disk, the result is lost clusters!   the unlink()
call itself returns 0.

Question: is this legal?  (key word here is LEGAL, I didn't say SMART)
UNIX, of course, handles this just fine: the file disappears normally 
when it is no longer open in any process.

The documentation does not state any restrictions on unlinking 
open files.  (File was opened for writing with a regular fopen()).

Known problem?  Known limitation?  DOS 3.3 bug?  Did yesterday's
solar eclipse have anything to do with it?  (I did verify it in 4.0 
and 5.1 and on 3 different machines).

Thanks in advance, 
Alan Denney

--
    Alan S. Denney  @  Informix Software, Inc.    
         {pyramid|uunet}!infmx!aland                 "I want to live!
   --------------------------------------------       as an honest man,
    Disclaimer:  These opinions are mine alone.       to get all I deserve
    If I am caught or killed, the secretary           and to give all I can."
    will disavow any knowledge of my actions.             - S. Vega