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<H1><A NAME="SECTION0082200000000000000000">
6.22 <tt class="module">tempfile</tt> --
         Generate temporary files and directories</A>
</H1>

<P>
<A NAME="module-tempfile"></A>

<P>
<a id='l2h-2199' xml:id='l2h-2199'></a><a id='l2h-2200' xml:id='l2h-2200'></a>
<P>
This module generates temporary files and directories.  It works on
all supported platforms.

<P>
In version 2.3 of Python, this module was overhauled for enhanced
security.  It now provides three new functions,
<tt class="function">NamedTemporaryFile()</tt>, <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt>, and
<tt class="function">mkdtemp()</tt>, which should eliminate all remaining need to use
the insecure <tt class="function">mktemp()</tt> function.  Temporary file names created
by this module no longer contain the process ID; instead a string of
six random characters is used.

<P>
Also, all the user-callable functions now take additional arguments
which allow direct control over the location and name of temporary
files.  It is no longer necessary to use the global <var>tempdir</var> and
<var>template</var> variables.  To maintain backward compatibility, the
argument order is somewhat odd; it is recommended to use keyword
arguments for clarity.

<P>
The module defines the following user-callable functions:

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2201' xml:id='l2h-2201' class="function">TemporaryFile</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var></var><big>[</big><var>mode=<code>'w+b'</code></var><big>[</big><var>,
                                bufsize=<code>-1</code></var><big>[</big><var>,
                                suffix</var><big>[</big><var>, prefix</var><big>[</big><var>, dir</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
Return a file (or file-like) object that can be used as a temporary
storage area.  The file is created using <tt class="function">mkstemp</tt>. It will
be destroyed as soon as it is closed (including an implicit close when
the object is garbage collected).  Under <span class="Unix">Unix</span>, the directory entry
for the file is removed immediately after the file is created.  Other
platforms do not support this; your code should not rely on a
temporary file created using this function having or not having a
visible name in the file system.

<P>
The <var>mode</var> parameter defaults to <code>'w+b'</code> so that the file
created can be read and written without being closed.  Binary mode is
used so that it behaves consistently on all platforms without regard
for the data that is stored.  <var>bufsize</var> defaults to <code>-1</code>,
meaning that the operating system default is used.

<P>
The <var>dir</var>, <var>prefix</var> and <var>suffix</var> parameters are passed to
<tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt>.
</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2202' xml:id='l2h-2202' class="function">NamedTemporaryFile</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var></var><big>[</big><var>mode=<code>'w+b'</code></var><big>[</big><var>,
                                     bufsize=<code>-1</code></var><big>[</big><var>,
                                     suffix</var><big>[</big><var>, prefix</var><big>[</big><var>,
                                     dir</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
This function operates exactly as <tt class="function">TemporaryFile()</tt> does,
except that the file is guaranteed to have a visible name in the file
system (on <span class="Unix">Unix</span>, the directory entry is not unlinked).  That name can
be retrieved from the <tt class="member">name</tt> member of the file object.  Whether
the name can be used to open the file a second time, while the
named temporary file is still open, varies across platforms (it can
be so used on <span class="Unix">Unix</span>; it cannot on Windows NT or later).

<span class="versionnote">New in version 2.3.</span>

</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2203' xml:id='l2h-2203' class="function">mkstemp</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var></var><big>[</big><var>suffix</var><big>[</big><var>,
                          prefix</var><big>[</big><var>, dir</var><big>[</big><var>, text</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
Creates a temporary file in the most secure manner possible.  There
are no race conditions in the file's creation, assuming that the
platform properly implements the <tt class="constant">O_EXCL</tt> flag for
<tt class="function">os.open()</tt>.  The file is readable and writable only by the
creating user ID.  If the platform uses permission bits to indicate
whether a file is executable, the file is executable by no one.  The
file descriptor is not inherited by child processes.

<P>
Unlike <tt class="function">TemporaryFile()</tt>, the user of <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt> is
responsible for deleting the temporary file when done with it.

<P>
If <var>suffix</var> is specified, the file name will end with that suffix,
otherwise there will be no suffix.  <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt> does not put a
dot between the file name and the suffix; if you need one, put it at
the beginning of <var>suffix</var>.

<P>
If <var>prefix</var> is specified, the file name will begin with that
prefix; otherwise, a default prefix is used.

<P>
If <var>dir</var> is specified, the file will be created in that directory;
otherwise, a default directory is used.

<P>
If <var>text</var> is specified, it indicates whether to open the file in
binary mode (the default) or text mode.  On some platforms, this makes
no difference.

<P>
<tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt> returns a tuple containing an OS-level handle to
an open file (as would be returned by <tt class="function">os.open()</tt>) and the
absolute pathname of that file, in that order.

<span class="versionnote">New in version 2.3.</span>

</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2204' xml:id='l2h-2204' class="function">mkdtemp</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var></var><big>[</big><var>suffix</var><big>[</big><var>, prefix</var><big>[</big><var>, dir</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
Creates a temporary directory in the most secure manner possible.
There are no race conditions in the directory's creation.  The
directory is readable, writable, and searchable only by the
creating user ID.

<P>
The user of <tt class="function">mkdtemp()</tt> is responsible for deleting the
temporary directory and its contents when done with it.

<P>
The <var>prefix</var>, <var>suffix</var>, and <var>dir</var> arguments are the same
as for <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt>.

<P>
<tt class="function">mkdtemp()</tt> returns the absolute pathname of the new directory.

<span class="versionnote">New in version 2.3.</span>

</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2205' xml:id='l2h-2205' class="function">mktemp</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var></var><big>[</big><var>suffix</var><big>[</big><var>, prefix</var><big>[</big><var>, dir</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
<div class="versionnote"><b>Deprecated since release 2.3.</b>
Use <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt> instead.</div><p></p>
Return an absolute pathname of a file that did not exist at the time
the call is made.  The <var>prefix</var>, <var>suffix</var>, and <var>dir</var>
arguments are the same as for <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt>.

<P>
<span class="warning"><b class="label">Warning:</b>
Use of this function may introduce a security hole in your
program.  By the time you get around to doing anything with the file
name it returns, someone else may have beaten you to the punch.</span>
</dl>

<P>
The module uses two global variables that tell it how to construct a
temporary name.  They are initialized at the first call to any of the
functions above.  The caller may change them, but this is discouraged;
use the appropriate function arguments, instead.

<P>
<dl><dt><b><tt id='l2h-2206' xml:id='l2h-2206'>tempdir</tt></b></dt>
<dd>
When set to a value other than <code>None</code>, this variable defines the
default value for the <var>dir</var> argument to all the functions defined
in this module.

<P>
If <code>tempdir</code> is unset or <code>None</code> at any call to any of the
above functions, Python searches a standard list of directories and
sets <var>tempdir</var> to the first one which the calling user can create
files in.  The list is:

<P>

<OL>
<LI>The directory named by the <a class="envvar" id='l2h-2210' xml:id='l2h-2210'>TMPDIR</a> environment variable.
</LI>
<LI>The directory named by the <a class="envvar" id='l2h-2211' xml:id='l2h-2211'>TEMP</a> environment variable.
</LI>
<LI>The directory named by the <a class="envvar" id='l2h-2212' xml:id='l2h-2212'>TMP</a> environment variable.
</LI>
<LI>A platform-specific location:
    
<UL>
<LI>On RiscOS, the directory named by the
          <a class="envvar" id='l2h-2213' xml:id='l2h-2213'>Wimp$ScrapDir</a> environment variable.
</LI>
<LI>On Windows, the directories
          <span class="file">C:<SPAN CLASS="MATH"><IMG
 WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="32" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
 SRC="img2.png"
 ALT="$\backslash$"></SPAN>TEMP</span>,
          <span class="file">C:<SPAN CLASS="MATH"><IMG
 WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="32" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
 SRC="img2.png"
 ALT="$\backslash$"></SPAN>TMP</span>,
          <span class="file"><SPAN CLASS="MATH"><IMG
 WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="32" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
 SRC="img2.png"
 ALT="$\backslash$"></SPAN>TEMP</span>, and
          <span class="file"><SPAN CLASS="MATH"><IMG
 WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="32" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
 SRC="img2.png"
 ALT="$\backslash$"></SPAN>TMP</span>, in that order.
</LI>
<LI>On all other platforms, the directories
          <span class="file">/tmp</span>, <span class="file">/var/tmp</span>, and <span class="file">/usr/tmp</span>, in that order.
    
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI>As a last resort, the current working directory.
</LI>
</OL>
</dd></dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2207' xml:id='l2h-2207' class="function">gettempdir</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
Return the directory currently selected to create temporary files in.
If <code>tempdir</code> is not <code>None</code>, this simply returns its contents;
otherwise, the search described above is performed, and the result
returned.
</dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><b><tt id='l2h-2208' xml:id='l2h-2208'>template</tt></b></dt>
<dd>
<div class="versionnote"><b>Deprecated since release 2.0.</b>
Use <tt class="function">gettempprefix()</tt> instead.</div><p></p>
When set to a value other than <code>None</code>, this variable defines the
prefix of the final component of the filenames returned by
<tt class="function">mktemp()</tt>.  A string of six random letters and digits is
appended to the prefix to make the filename unique.  On Windows,
the default prefix is <span class="file">~T</span>; on all other systems
it is <span class="file">tmp</span>.

<P>
Older versions of this module used to require that <code>template</code> be
set to <code>None</code> after a call to <tt class="function">os.fork()</tt>; this has not
been necessary since version 1.5.2.
</dd></dl>

<P>
<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
  <td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2209' xml:id='l2h-2209' class="function">gettempprefix</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
  <td><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
<dd>
Return the filename prefix used to create temporary files.  This does
not contain the directory component.  Using this function is preferred
over reading the <var>template</var> variable directly.

<span class="versionnote">New in version 1.5.2.</span>

</dl>

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	54
	55	<H1><A NAME="SECTION0082200000000000000000">
	56	6.22 <tt class="module">tempfile</tt> --
	57	Generate temporary files and directories</A>
	58	</H1>
	59
	60	<P>
	61	<A NAME="module-tempfile"></A>
	62
	63	<P>
	64	<a id='l2h-2199' xml:id='l2h-2199'></a><a id='l2h-2200' xml:id='l2h-2200'></a>
65	<P>
66	This module generates temporary files and directories. It works on
67	all supported platforms.
68
69	<P>
70	In version 2.3 of Python, this module was overhauled for enhanced
71	security. It now provides three new functions,
72	<tt class="function">NamedTemporaryFile()</tt>, <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt>, and
73	<tt class="function">mkdtemp()</tt>, which should eliminate all remaining need to use
74	the insecure <tt class="function">mktemp()</tt> function. Temporary file names created
75	by this module no longer contain the process ID; instead a string of
76	six random characters is used.
77
78	<P>
79	Also, all the user-callable functions now take additional arguments
80	which allow direct control over the location and name of temporary
81	files. It is no longer necessary to use the global <var>tempdir</var> and
82	<var>template</var> variables. To maintain backward compatibility, the
83	argument order is somewhat odd; it is recommended to use keyword
84	arguments for clarity.
85
86	<P>
87	The module defines the following user-callable functions:
88
89	<P>
90	<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
91	<td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2201' xml:id='l2h-2201' class="function">TemporaryFile</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
92	<td><var></var><big>[</big><var>mode=<code>'w+b'</code></var><big>[</big><var>,
93	bufsize=<code>-1</code></var><big>[</big><var>,
94	suffix</var><big>[</big><var>, prefix</var><big>[</big><var>, dir</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
95	<dd>
96	Return a file (or file-like) object that can be used as a temporary
97	storage area. The file is created using <tt class="function">mkstemp</tt>. It will
98	be destroyed as soon as it is closed (including an implicit close when
99	the object is garbage collected). Under <span class="Unix">Unix</span>, the directory entry
100	for the file is removed immediately after the file is created. Other
101	platforms do not support this; your code should not rely on a
102	temporary file created using this function having or not having a
103	visible name in the file system.
104
105	<P>
106	The <var>mode</var> parameter defaults to <code>'w+b'</code> so that the file
107	created can be read and written without being closed. Binary mode is
108	used so that it behaves consistently on all platforms without regard
109	for the data that is stored. <var>bufsize</var> defaults to <code>-1</code>,
110	meaning that the operating system default is used.
111
112	<P>
113	The <var>dir</var>, <var>prefix</var> and <var>suffix</var> parameters are passed to
114	<tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt>.
115	</dl>
116
117	<P>
118	<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
119	<td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2202' xml:id='l2h-2202' class="function">NamedTemporaryFile</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
120	<td><var></var><big>[</big><var>mode=<code>'w+b'</code></var><big>[</big><var>,
121	bufsize=<code>-1</code></var><big>[</big><var>,
122	suffix</var><big>[</big><var>, prefix</var><big>[</big><var>,
123	dir</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
124	<dd>
125	This function operates exactly as <tt class="function">TemporaryFile()</tt> does,
126	except that the file is guaranteed to have a visible name in the file
127	system (on <span class="Unix">Unix</span>, the directory entry is not unlinked). That name can
128	be retrieved from the <tt class="member">name</tt> member of the file object. Whether
129	the name can be used to open the file a second time, while the
130	named temporary file is still open, varies across platforms (it can
131	be so used on <span class="Unix">Unix</span>; it cannot on Windows NT or later).
132
133	<span class="versionnote">New in version 2.3.</span>
134
135	</dl>
136
137	<P>
138	<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
139	<td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2203' xml:id='l2h-2203' class="function">mkstemp</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
140	<td><var></var><big>[</big><var>suffix</var><big>[</big><var>,
141	prefix</var><big>[</big><var>, dir</var><big>[</big><var>, text</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
142	<dd>
143	Creates a temporary file in the most secure manner possible. There
144	are no race conditions in the file's creation, assuming that the
145	platform properly implements the <tt class="constant">O_EXCL</tt> flag for
146	<tt class="function">os.open()</tt>. The file is readable and writable only by the
147	creating user ID. If the platform uses permission bits to indicate
148	whether a file is executable, the file is executable by no one. The
149	file descriptor is not inherited by child processes.
150
151	<P>
152	Unlike <tt class="function">TemporaryFile()</tt>, the user of <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt> is
153	responsible for deleting the temporary file when done with it.
154
155	<P>
156	If <var>suffix</var> is specified, the file name will end with that suffix,
157	otherwise there will be no suffix. <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt> does not put a
158	dot between the file name and the suffix; if you need one, put it at
159	the beginning of <var>suffix</var>.
160
161	<P>
162	If <var>prefix</var> is specified, the file name will begin with that
163	prefix; otherwise, a default prefix is used.
164
165	<P>
166	If <var>dir</var> is specified, the file will be created in that directory;
167	otherwise, a default directory is used.
168
169	<P>
170	If <var>text</var> is specified, it indicates whether to open the file in
171	binary mode (the default) or text mode. On some platforms, this makes
172	no difference.
173
174	<P>
175	<tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt> returns a tuple containing an OS-level handle to
176	an open file (as would be returned by <tt class="function">os.open()</tt>) and the
177	absolute pathname of that file, in that order.
178
179	<span class="versionnote">New in version 2.3.</span>
180
181	</dl>
182
183	<P>
184	<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
185	<td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2204' xml:id='l2h-2204' class="function">mkdtemp</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
186	<td><var></var><big>[</big><var>suffix</var><big>[</big><var>, prefix</var><big>[</big><var>, dir</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
187	<dd>
188	Creates a temporary directory in the most secure manner possible.
189	There are no race conditions in the directory's creation. The
190	directory is readable, writable, and searchable only by the
191	creating user ID.
192
193	<P>
194	The user of <tt class="function">mkdtemp()</tt> is responsible for deleting the
195	temporary directory and its contents when done with it.
196
197	<P>
198	The <var>prefix</var>, <var>suffix</var>, and <var>dir</var> arguments are the same
199	as for <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt>.
200
201	<P>
202	<tt class="function">mkdtemp()</tt> returns the absolute pathname of the new directory.
203
204	<span class="versionnote">New in version 2.3.</span>
205
206	</dl>
207
208	<P>
209	<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
210	<td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2205' xml:id='l2h-2205' class="function">mktemp</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
211	<td><var></var><big>[</big><var>suffix</var><big>[</big><var>, prefix</var><big>[</big><var>, dir</var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var><big>]</big><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
212	<dd>
213	<div class="versionnote"><b>Deprecated since release 2.3.</b>
214	Use <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt> instead.</div><p></p>
215	Return an absolute pathname of a file that did not exist at the time
216	the call is made. The <var>prefix</var>, <var>suffix</var>, and <var>dir</var>
217	arguments are the same as for <tt class="function">mkstemp()</tt>.
218
219	<P>
220	<span class="warning"><b class="label">Warning:</b>
221	Use of this function may introduce a security hole in your
222	program. By the time you get around to doing anything with the file
223	name it returns, someone else may have beaten you to the punch.</span>
224	</dl>
225
226	<P>
227	The module uses two global variables that tell it how to construct a
228	temporary name. They are initialized at the first call to any of the
229	functions above. The caller may change them, but this is discouraged;
230	use the appropriate function arguments, instead.
231
232	<P>
233	<dl><dt><b><tt id='l2h-2206' xml:id='l2h-2206'>tempdir</tt></b></dt>
234	<dd>
235	When set to a value other than <code>None</code>, this variable defines the
236	default value for the <var>dir</var> argument to all the functions defined
237	in this module.
238
239	<P>
240	If <code>tempdir</code> is unset or <code>None</code> at any call to any of the
241	above functions, Python searches a standard list of directories and
242	sets <var>tempdir</var> to the first one which the calling user can create
243	files in. The list is:
244
245	<P>
246
247	<OL>
248	<LI>The directory named by the <a class="envvar" id='l2h-2210' xml:id='l2h-2210'>TMPDIR</a> environment variable.
249	</LI>
250	<LI>The directory named by the <a class="envvar" id='l2h-2211' xml:id='l2h-2211'>TEMP</a> environment variable.
251	</LI>
252	<LI>The directory named by the <a class="envvar" id='l2h-2212' xml:id='l2h-2212'>TMP</a> environment variable.
253	</LI>
254	<LI>A platform-specific location:
255
256	<UL>
257	<LI>On RiscOS, the directory named by the
258	<a class="envvar" id='l2h-2213' xml:id='l2h-2213'>Wimp$ScrapDir</a> environment variable.
259	</LI>
260	<LI>On Windows, the directories
261	<span class="file">C:<SPAN CLASS="MATH"><IMG
262	WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="32" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
263	SRC="img2.png"
264	ALT="$\backslash$"></SPAN>TEMP</span>,
265	<span class="file">C:<SPAN CLASS="MATH"><IMG
266	WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="32" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
267	SRC="img2.png"
268	ALT="$\backslash$"></SPAN>TMP</span>,
269	<span class="file"><SPAN CLASS="MATH"><IMG
270	WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="32" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
271	SRC="img2.png"
272	ALT="$\backslash$"></SPAN>TEMP</span>, and
273	<span class="file"><SPAN CLASS="MATH"><IMG
274	WIDTH="12" HEIGHT="32" ALIGN="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"
275	SRC="img2.png"
276	ALT="$\backslash$"></SPAN>TMP</span>, in that order.
277	</LI>
278	<LI>On all other platforms, the directories
279	<span class="file">/tmp</span>, <span class="file">/var/tmp</span>, and <span class="file">/usr/tmp</span>, in that order.
280
281	</LI>
282	</UL>
283	</LI>
284	<LI>As a last resort, the current working directory.
285	</LI>
286	</OL>
287	</dd></dl>
288
289	<P>
290	<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
291	<td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2207' xml:id='l2h-2207' class="function">gettempdir</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
292	<td><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
293	<dd>
294	Return the directory currently selected to create temporary files in.
295	If <code>tempdir</code> is not <code>None</code>, this simply returns its contents;
296	otherwise, the search described above is performed, and the result
297	returned.
298	</dl>
299
300	<P>
301	<dl><dt><b><tt id='l2h-2208' xml:id='l2h-2208'>template</tt></b></dt>
302	<dd>
303	<div class="versionnote"><b>Deprecated since release 2.0.</b>
304	Use <tt class="function">gettempprefix()</tt> instead.</div><p></p>
305	When set to a value other than <code>None</code>, this variable defines the
306	prefix of the final component of the filenames returned by
307	<tt class="function">mktemp()</tt>. A string of six random letters and digits is
308	appended to the prefix to make the filename unique. On Windows,
309	the default prefix is <span class="file">~T</span>; on all other systems
310	it is <span class="file">tmp</span>.
311
312	<P>
313	Older versions of this module used to require that <code>template</code> be
314	set to <code>None</code> after a call to <tt class="function">os.fork()</tt>; this has not
315	been necessary since version 1.5.2.
316	</dd></dl>
317
318	<P>
319	<dl><dt><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr valign="baseline">
320	<td><nobr><b><tt id='l2h-2209' xml:id='l2h-2209' class="function">gettempprefix</tt></b>(</nobr></td>
321	<td><var></var>)</td></tr></table></dt>
322	<dd>
323	Return the filename prefix used to create temporary files. This does
324	not contain the directory component. Using this function is preferred
325	over reading the <var>template</var> variable directly.
326
327	<span class="versionnote">New in version 1.5.2.</span>
328
329	</dl>
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