---
name: "IO::File"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-5.004-doc"
version: "5.004.05-6"
release: "Debian 2.2 (Potato)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/IO::File/3pm"
---

# IO::File(3pm)

supply object methods for filehandles

## NAME

IO::File - supply object methods for filehandles

## SYNOPSIS

```
    use IO::File;
```

```
    $fh = new IO::File;
    if ($fh->open("< file")) {
        print <$fh>;
        $fh->close;
    }
```

```
    $fh = new IO::File "> file";
    if (defined $fh) {
        print $fh "bar\n";
        $fh->close;
    }
```

```
    $fh = new IO::File "file", "r";
    if (defined $fh) {
        print <$fh>;
        undef $fh;       # automatically closes the file
    }
```

```
    $fh = new IO::File "file", O_WRONLY⎪O_APPEND;
    if (defined $fh) {
        print $fh "corge\n";
```

```
        $pos = $fh->getpos;
        $fh->setpos($pos);
```

```
        undef $fh;       # automatically closes the file
    }
```

```
    autoflush STDOUT 1;
```

## DESCRIPTION

`IO::File` inherits from `IO::Handle` and `IO::Seekable`. It extends these classes with methods that are specific to file handles.

## CONSTRUCTOR

- new (\[ ARGS \] )

  Creates a `IO::File`.  If it receives any parameters, they are passed to the method `open`; if the open fails, the object is destroyed.  Otherwise, it is returned to the caller.\

- new\_tmpfile

  Creates an `IO::File` opened for read/write on a newly created temporary file.  On systems where this is possible, the temporary file is anonymous (i.e. it is unlinked after creation, but held open).  If the temporary file cannot be created or opened, the `IO::File` object is destroyed. Otherwise, it is returned to the caller.

## METHODS

- open( FILENAME \[,MODE \[,PERMS\]\] )

  `open` accepts one, two or three parameters.  With one parameter, it is just a front end for the built-in `open` function.  With two parameters, the first parameter is a filename that may include whitespace or other special characters, and the second parameter is the open mode, optionally followed by a file permission value.

  If `IO::File::open` receives a Perl mode string ("\>", "+\<", etc.) or a POSIX *fopen()* mode string ("w", "r+", etc.), it uses the basic Perl `open` operator.

  If `IO::File::open` is given a numeric mode, it passes that mode and the optional permissions value to the Perl `sysopen` operator. For convenience, `IO::File::import` tries to import the O\_XXX constants from the Fcntl module.  If dynamic loading is not available, this may fail, but the rest of IO::File will still work.

## SEE ALSO

the *perlfunc* manpage,  the section on *I/O Operators* in the *perlop* manpage, the *IO::Handle* manpage the *IO::Seekable* manpage

## HISTORY

Derived from FileHandle.pm by Graham Barr \<*bodg@tiuk.ti.com*\>.