Re: ftruncate not extending files?

[Malcolm Beattie]

bert hubert writes:
> I would've sworn, based on the fact that I saw people do it, that ftruncate
> was a legitimate way to extend a file

Well it's not SuSv2 standards compliant:

    http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/007908799/xsh/ftruncate.html

    If the file previously was larger than length, the extra data is
    discarded. If it was previously shorter than length, it is
    unspecified whether the file is changed or its size increased. If
    ^^^^^^^^^^^
    the file is extended, the extended area appears as if it were
    zero-filled.

How "legitimate" relates to "SuSv2 standards compliant" is your call.

--Malcolm

-- 
Malcolm Beattie <[e-mail]>
Unix Systems Programmer
Oxford University Computing Services