File Tests

File Tests

• Finally, Perl provides many methods for determining information about files on the file system using "File tests". For the purposes of this tutorial, there are too many types of file tests to cover them all in depth. Further, they are covered extensively elsewhere. However, the most frequent syntax of file tests used in CGI applications follows the form:

  if ([filetest] [filename] && [other filetest] [filename])
         {
         do something
         }
  

• Consider the following example that checks to see if a file exists (-e) and is writable (-w) by us, and if so deletes it:

  if ((-e "temp.file") && (-w "temp.file"))
         {
         unlink ("temp.file");
         }
  

• The following lists several common file tests.

Additional Resources:

• Perl
• Perl Resources
• Instant Web Scripts With CGI

Deleting, Renaming and Changing the Permissions of Files
Table of Contents
Getting Information About a File With stat