symbian-qemu-0.9.1-12/python-2.6.1/Doc/library/posixfile.rst
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     1 :mod:`posixfile` --- File-like objects with locking support
       
     2 ===========================================================
       
     3 
       
     4 .. module:: posixfile
       
     5    :platform: Unix
       
     6    :synopsis: A file-like object with support for locking.
       
     7    :deprecated:
       
     8 .. moduleauthor:: Jaap Vermeulen
       
     9 .. sectionauthor:: Jaap Vermeulen
       
    10 
       
    11 
       
    12 .. index:: pair: POSIX; file object
       
    13 
       
    14 .. deprecated:: 1.5
       
    15    The locking operation that this module provides is done better and more portably
       
    16    by the :func:`fcntl.lockf` call.
       
    17 
       
    18 .. index:: single: fcntl() (in module fcntl)
       
    19 
       
    20 This module implements some additional functionality over the built-in file
       
    21 objects.  In particular, it implements file locking, control over the file
       
    22 flags, and an easy interface to duplicate the file object. The module defines a
       
    23 new file object, the posixfile object.  It has all the standard file object
       
    24 methods and adds the methods described below.  This module only works for
       
    25 certain flavors of Unix, since it uses :func:`fcntl.fcntl` for file locking.
       
    26 
       
    27 To instantiate a posixfile object, use the :func:`open` function in the
       
    28 :mod:`posixfile` module.  The resulting object looks and feels roughly the same
       
    29 as a standard file object.
       
    30 
       
    31 The :mod:`posixfile` module defines the following constants:
       
    32 
       
    33 
       
    34 .. data:: SEEK_SET
       
    35 
       
    36    Offset is calculated from the start of the file.
       
    37 
       
    38 
       
    39 .. data:: SEEK_CUR
       
    40 
       
    41    Offset is calculated from the current position in the file.
       
    42 
       
    43 
       
    44 .. data:: SEEK_END
       
    45 
       
    46    Offset is calculated from the end of the file.
       
    47 
       
    48 The :mod:`posixfile` module defines the following functions:
       
    49 
       
    50 
       
    51 .. function:: open(filename[, mode[, bufsize]])
       
    52 
       
    53    Create a new posixfile object with the given filename and mode.  The *filename*,
       
    54    *mode* and *bufsize* arguments are interpreted the same way as by the built-in
       
    55    :func:`open` function.
       
    56 
       
    57 
       
    58 .. function:: fileopen(fileobject)
       
    59 
       
    60    Create a new posixfile object with the given standard file object. The resulting
       
    61    object has the same filename and mode as the original file object.
       
    62 
       
    63 The posixfile object defines the following additional methods:
       
    64 
       
    65 
       
    66 .. method:: posixfile.lock(fmt, [len[, start[, whence]]])
       
    67 
       
    68    Lock the specified section of the file that the file object is referring to.
       
    69    The format is explained below in a table.  The *len* argument specifies the
       
    70    length of the section that should be locked. The default is ``0``. *start*
       
    71    specifies the starting offset of the section, where the default is ``0``.  The
       
    72    *whence* argument specifies where the offset is relative to. It accepts one of
       
    73    the constants :const:`SEEK_SET`, :const:`SEEK_CUR` or :const:`SEEK_END`.  The
       
    74    default is :const:`SEEK_SET`.  For more information about the arguments refer to
       
    75    the :manpage:`fcntl(2)` manual page on your system.
       
    76 
       
    77 
       
    78 .. method:: posixfile.flags([flags])
       
    79 
       
    80    Set the specified flags for the file that the file object is referring to.  The
       
    81    new flags are ORed with the old flags, unless specified otherwise.  The format
       
    82    is explained below in a table.  Without the *flags* argument a string indicating
       
    83    the current flags is returned (this is the same as the ``?`` modifier).  For
       
    84    more information about the flags refer to the :manpage:`fcntl(2)` manual page on
       
    85    your system.
       
    86 
       
    87 
       
    88 .. method:: posixfile.dup()
       
    89 
       
    90    Duplicate the file object and the underlying file pointer and file descriptor.
       
    91    The resulting object behaves as if it were newly opened.
       
    92 
       
    93 
       
    94 .. method:: posixfile.dup2(fd)
       
    95 
       
    96    Duplicate the file object and the underlying file pointer and file descriptor.
       
    97    The new object will have the given file descriptor. Otherwise the resulting
       
    98    object behaves as if it were newly opened.
       
    99 
       
   100 
       
   101 .. method:: posixfile.file()
       
   102 
       
   103    Return the standard file object that the posixfile object is based on.  This is
       
   104    sometimes necessary for functions that insist on a standard file object.
       
   105 
       
   106 All methods raise :exc:`IOError` when the request fails.
       
   107 
       
   108 Format characters for the :meth:`lock` method have the following meaning:
       
   109 
       
   110 +--------+-----------------------------------------------+
       
   111 | Format | Meaning                                       |
       
   112 +========+===============================================+
       
   113 | ``u``  | unlock the specified region                   |
       
   114 +--------+-----------------------------------------------+
       
   115 | ``r``  | request a read lock for the specified section |
       
   116 +--------+-----------------------------------------------+
       
   117 | ``w``  | request a write lock for the specified        |
       
   118 |        | section                                       |
       
   119 +--------+-----------------------------------------------+
       
   120 
       
   121 In addition the following modifiers can be added to the format:
       
   122 
       
   123 +----------+--------------------------------+-------+
       
   124 | Modifier | Meaning                        | Notes |
       
   125 +==========+================================+=======+
       
   126 | ``|``    | wait until the lock has been   |       |
       
   127 |          | granted                        |       |
       
   128 +----------+--------------------------------+-------+
       
   129 | ``?``    | return the first lock          | \(1)  |
       
   130 |          | conflicting with the requested |       |
       
   131 |          | lock, or ``None`` if there is  |       |
       
   132 |          | no conflict.                   |       |
       
   133 +----------+--------------------------------+-------+
       
   134 
       
   135 Note:
       
   136 
       
   137 (1)
       
   138    The lock returned is in the format ``(mode, len, start, whence, pid)`` where
       
   139    *mode* is a character representing the type of lock ('r' or 'w').  This modifier
       
   140    prevents a request from being granted; it is for query purposes only.
       
   141 
       
   142 Format characters for the :meth:`flags` method have the following meanings:
       
   143 
       
   144 +--------+-----------------------------------------------+
       
   145 | Format | Meaning                                       |
       
   146 +========+===============================================+
       
   147 | ``a``  | append only flag                              |
       
   148 +--------+-----------------------------------------------+
       
   149 | ``c``  | close on exec flag                            |
       
   150 +--------+-----------------------------------------------+
       
   151 | ``n``  | no delay flag (also called non-blocking flag) |
       
   152 +--------+-----------------------------------------------+
       
   153 | ``s``  | synchronization flag                          |
       
   154 +--------+-----------------------------------------------+
       
   155 
       
   156 In addition the following modifiers can be added to the format:
       
   157 
       
   158 +----------+---------------------------------+-------+
       
   159 | Modifier | Meaning                         | Notes |
       
   160 +==========+=================================+=======+
       
   161 | ``!``    | turn the specified flags 'off', | \(1)  |
       
   162 |          | instead of the default 'on'     |       |
       
   163 +----------+---------------------------------+-------+
       
   164 | ``=``    | replace the flags, instead of   | \(1)  |
       
   165 |          | the default 'OR' operation      |       |
       
   166 +----------+---------------------------------+-------+
       
   167 | ``?``    | return a string in which the    | \(2)  |
       
   168 |          | characters represent the flags  |       |
       
   169 |          | that are set.                   |       |
       
   170 +----------+---------------------------------+-------+
       
   171 
       
   172 Notes:
       
   173 
       
   174 (1)
       
   175    The ``!`` and ``=`` modifiers are mutually exclusive.
       
   176 
       
   177 (2)
       
   178    This string represents the flags after they may have been altered by the same
       
   179    call.
       
   180 
       
   181 Examples::
       
   182 
       
   183    import posixfile
       
   184 
       
   185    file = posixfile.open('/tmp/test', 'w')
       
   186    file.lock('w|')
       
   187    ...
       
   188    file.lock('u')
       
   189    file.close()
       
   190