Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > comp.lang.c > #13451

Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file

Show all headers | View raw

Giuseppe <giuseppe.modugno@gmail.com> writes:
> On 15 Nov, 04:06, Eric Sosman <esos...@ieee-dot-org.invalid> wrote:
>> > What do you think about those thoughts? Do you agree with me?
>>
>>      No, not at all.  One problem with your supposedly simpler
>> solution: How do you tell subsequent readers of the file that they
>> should stop before reaching the end?  Observe that <stdio.h> offers
>> no way to shorten an existing file to any length other than zero.
>
> Ok, I implemented the "temporary file" solution and it works well.
> The only disadvantage is time: when the file is big (1000 lines of
> about 50 bytes each), the time to delete the first line could be very
> high.

A text file of 1000 lines of 50 bytes each really isn't all that big.
The time to copy and rename it probably won't even be noticeable.

> Do you think the process could be reduced launching an external script
> (for example, 'head' based) with system()?  If I redirect the output
> to the original filename I could avoid the time consuming process of
> copying the original to the temporary file.

The behavior of external program is outside the scope of the C language.

(But I'll mention that on Unix-like systems, running a command with its
input and output directed to the same file can cause serious problems;
it can easily end up reading a partially modified version of the file
instead of the original.  And even if it works, it's likely going to be
doing the same thing you would have done in your program.)

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst-u@mib.org  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
"We must do something.  This is something.  Therefore, we must do this."
    -- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"

Back to comp.lang.c | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

Deleting first N lines from a text file pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2011-11-14 16:02 -0800
  Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Roberto Waltman <usenet@rwaltman.com> - 2011-11-14 19:21 -0500
    Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Acid Washed China Blue Jeans <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-14 16:31 -0800
      Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file blp@cs.stanford.edu (Ben Pfaff) - 2011-11-14 16:36 -0800
      Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Roberto Waltman <usenet@rwaltman.com> - 2011-11-14 20:10 -0500
      Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-16 11:04 +0200
  Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file gordonb.3hlvm@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2011-11-14 18:53 -0600
  Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-14 22:06 -0500
    Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Giuseppe <giuseppe.modugno@gmail.com> - 2011-11-15 16:57 -0800
      Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-15 17:50 -0800
        Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2011-11-15 23:11 -0800
          Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file jgharston <jgh@arcade.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-16 04:11 -0800
      Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-15 21:48 -0500
        Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2011-11-15 23:14 -0800
          Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-16 14:26 +0000
            Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-16 21:32 -0500
              Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-17 15:43 +1300
                Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-17 10:35 +0000
                Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Dr Nick <3-nospam@temporary-address.org.uk> - 2011-12-16 07:05 +0000
              Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-16 22:46 -0600
      Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file gordonb.pa5u0@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2011-11-16 16:28 -0600
        Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-16 22:53 +0000
          Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file gordonb.z5i2o@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2011-11-16 18:34 -0600
  Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-11-15 12:48 +0100
    Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file "-.-" <none@none.none> - 2011-11-16 14:01 +0100
      Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file jacob navia <jacob@spamsink.net> - 2011-11-16 14:44 +0100
        Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file tom st denis <tom@iahu.ca> - 2011-11-17 10:43 -0800
          Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file jt@toerring.de (Jens Thoms Toerring) - 2011-11-18 23:12 +0000
  Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file jgharston <jgh@arcade.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-16 06:42 -0800
    Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file jgharston <jgh@arcade.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-16 07:43 -0800
    Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-16 11:13 -0800
      Re: Deleting first N lines from a text file jgharston <jgh@arcade.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-16 13:50 -0800

csiph-web