Johannes Schindelin <Johannes.Schindelin@xxxxxx> writes: >> > + out = fopen(todo_file, "w"); >> >> The usual "open lockfile, write to it and then rename" dance is not >> necessary for the purpose of preventing other people from reading >> this file while we are writing to it. But if we fail inside this >> function before we fclose(3) "out", the user will lose the todo >> list. It probably is not a big deal, though. > > I guess you're right. It is bug-for-bug equivalent to the previous shell > function, though. I think the scripted version uses the "write to $todo.new and mv $todo.new to $todo" pattern so you'd at least have something to go back to when the loopfails.