From: "Steve [RubyTalk]" <steve_rubytalk@...>
Date: 2005-12-02T20:55:11+09:00
Subject: Re: What is the best way to edit a file to eliminate a line

Alan Chen wrote:
> I don't think you can get away without a tempfile and get safe
> "in-place"
> modifications. It looks to me like the best compromise would be to
>
> - read in the original
> - write the modified file to a temp (use ruby's 'tempfile' which, I
> think, should create a temp with secure permissions)
> - use the most atomic os facility you can to copy the modified atop the
> original
>
> On many platforms this might map to Rubys File.rename or FileUtils.mv,
> I'm not sure...
>   
Yup... that seems pretty reasonable to me too....though I have to say 
I'm surprised that I seem to be defining something to do this rather 
than just using a library component.  It's exactly the sort of thing I'd 
have previously been sure someone would have contributed.

Steve