File.open auto-close

ruby-talk
1

I know opening a file and passing a block will execute the block in context
of the file and then close the file.

Example:

File.open("somefile.txt") {|f| the_text = f.read }

After running, somefile.txt will be closed.

I'm wondering if it's ok to read a file like this:

the_text = File.open("somefile.txt").read

Will that close automatically? If not, how would I go about closing it?

Thanks,
Sam

2

No, file won't be closed (you didn't pass block) and you can't do it
because you don't have reference to file (lost when chaining).
But there is class method File.read so you can:

the_text = File.read("somefile.txt")

:slight_smile:

···

--
Radosław Bułat

http://radarek.jogger.pl - mój blog

3

It's even easier :slight_smile: Try

  the_text = File.read("somefile.txt")

Sammy Larbi wrote:

···

I know opening a file and passing a block will execute the block in context
of the file and then close the file.

Example:

File.open("somefile.txt") {|f| the_text = f.read }

After running, somefile.txt will be closed.

I'm wondering if it's ok to read a file like this:

the_text = File.open("somefile.txt").read

Will that close automatically? If not, how would I go about closing it?

Thanks,
Sam

4

Duhhhh. I'm a moron. I never thought of that.

Thanks.

Incidentally, I notice the docs on ruby-doc are still broken for File class,
which is the first place I tried to look. =)

Thanks again.

Sam

···

2008/5/29 Radosław Bułat <radek.bulat@gmail.com>:

No, file won't be closed (you didn't pass block) and you can't do it
because you don't have reference to file (lost when chaining).
But there is class method File.read so you can:

the_text = File.read("somefile.txt")