If the process which is forking them is avaliable to do stuff then you could fork them with an open(FH, "-|") in which case the forked stdout would go to that file handle for the main process to collate the all togeather.

Another method is to have each one logging to seperate files and then the main process when it closes sticks them all togeather, but thats a bit dodgy I would say.

But otherwise if your main process does need to do stuff then you probabley should go for the open+lock+write+close

I'm not sure but you might not have to open it everytime, just lock it, but hold me to that.

Toby