[Python] RE: How to safely maintain a status file

[Prasad, Ramit]

> >> Well "neat tricks" aside, I am of the firm belief that deleting files
> should
> >> never be possible whilst they are open.
> > This is one of the few instances I think Windows does something better
> > than OS X. Windows will check before you attempt to delete (i.e. move
> > to Recycling Bin) while OS X will move a file to Trash quite happily
> > only tell me it cannot remove the file when I try to empty the Trash.
> While I was trained in the Unix way, and believe it is entirely
> appropriate to delete an open file.  Even if I my program is the opener.
>   It's just too handy to have temp files that disappear on their own.
> 
> As opposed to periodically going to %TEMP% and deleting them manually.  Gah.

In my experience things that are "too handy" are usually breaking
what I consider "right". That being said, I am not entirely sure
what I think is "right" in this circumstance. I suppose it depends
on if I am the person deleting or the person who is looking at
a file that is being deleted. Or the user who just wants the stupid
computer to just Work.

I lean slightly towards the POSIX handling with the addition that 
any additional write should throw an error. You are now saving to 
a file that will not exist the moment you close it and that is probably 
not expected.





Ramit
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