Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cbmvax!bpa!asi!metro
From: metro@asi.UUCP (Metro T. Sauper)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Is write(2) "atomic" ?
Message-ID: <375@asi.UUCP>
Date: 13 Jul 88 13:41:41 GMT
References: <23801@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Organization: Assessment Systems, Inc., Philadelphia, PA
Lines: 21

From article <23801@bu-cs.BU.EDU>, by bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein):
> 
>>Do UNIX semantics guarantee that write(2) calls will be "atomic" ?
>>
>>		      Naim Abdullah
> 
> I think the result is indeterminate (undefined), .......
> 
> 	-Barry Shein, Boston University

I believe that it also depends on the mode you opened the file with.

My Programmers reference manual for Unix SYstem V r3.1, indicates that if
you open a file with mode "a" (append) you are guarenteed to write to the
current end of the file whether or not someone else has appended to the file.


-- 
Metro T. Sauper, Jr.                              Assessment Systems, Inc.
Director, Remote Systems Development              210 South Fourth Street
(215) 592-8900                 ..!asi!metro       Philadelphia, PA 19106