Perhaps this could be accomplished with yet another perlrun option, maybe -b (for backup). In conjunction with -i (whose behavior it would modify), we could demand that both have non-empty extensions, and further, that no two of the three names reference the same file, thereby defending against foot-shooting behavior like -i* or -b./* (for which silently deleting the "copy" might delete the original). It would then be safe to do largely as specified, after step 0, making a copy of the original in the -b extension. This keeps a backup of the original after the dust settles, much as -i does now, but also preserves the original, which won't be replaced by the -i version until it has been completely processed and closed.

In reply to Re^2: Help in read and write to file at a same time in same file. by jpl
in thread Help in read and write to file at a same time in same file. by gskoli

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