How to test for open file handles?

jdrago_999 has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Monks,

I was recently bit by the "Too many open files" error while doing a lot of file operations via a Perl script.

After (several hundred or thousand) file handles had been opened (and not closed), my program would just crash.

Sure - now I've fixed the problem, but it would be nice to add a unit test to check for dangling open file handles. A quick search on CPAN didn't produce anything, and without resorting to tricks like $open_filehandles = `/usr/sbin/lsof -p $$ | wc -l` I'd like to know how to do this in Perl.

Ideas?

Comment on How to test for open file handles? Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: How to test for open file handles? by repellent (Priest) on Feb 04, 2009 at 05:31 UTC
As a preventive measure, I'd suggest restructuring code to make use of lexical filehandles as shown. Always `open` a lexical `$FH` in a `BLOCK`: `{ open(my $FH, "<", $filename) or die("Cannot open: $filename\n $!"); while (<$FH>) { ... }; # unnecessary - $FH gets closed once it leaves lexical scope #close($FH); }` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: How to test for open file handles? by mikegrb (Initiate) on Feb 04, 2009 at 14:21 UTC
I'd argue that the close is necessary. Sure the file handle will be closed implicitly when it goes out of scope but then you can't check the result. It's just as import to check the return value of close() as it is to check the return value of open, if not more so... particularly when a file is being written to. That, said lexically scoped file-handles are always a good idea.	[reply]
Re: How to test for open file handles? by roboticus (Chancellor) on Feb 04, 2009 at 00:36 UTC
jdrago 999: Perhaps it would be better to "mock" the filehandle by commandeering the open & close methods. Then open could increment a variable, and close could decrement it. At the end of your test, the variable should be zero. I'm sure there's a way to intercept the core functions, but I don't know how to do it, so I can't offer any assistance on the actual implementation. ...roboticus	[reply]
Re^2: How to test for open file handles? by jdrago_999 (Hermit) on Feb 04, 2009 at 01:40 UTC
Perhaps it would be better to "mock" the filehandle by commandeering the open & close methods. I'm currently using IO::File. I could subclass it, do some singleton whiz-bang stuff and keep track of opens vs closes there. I just figured there might be a special Perl variable that would tell me how many files had been opened - something I could check for changes over time.	[reply]
Re: How to test for open file handles? by Joost (Canon) on Feb 04, 2009 at 01:28 UTC
From the POV of a unix system, there are no dangling file handles. Handles are either open (in which case they exist) or not (and they don't). If your program has tons of files open at the same time, you either have to reconfigure your OS, or rethink your algorithm. "What should it profit a man, if he should win a flame war, yet lose his cool?"	[reply]
Re^2: How to test for open file handles? by Anonymous Monk on Feb 04, 2009 at 02:18 UTC
FileCache - keep more files open than the system permits	[reply]
Re: How to test for open file handles? by kyle (Abbot) on Feb 04, 2009 at 05:29 UTC
The way I've tested this in the past is to loop over the suspect code a few thousand times. If it does not die, it's not leaking open files. Update: Fixed a typo. Thanks GrandFather!	[reply]
Re: How to test for open file handles? by NateTut (Deacon) on Feb 04, 2009 at 15:25 UTC
A tip: I always code the close at the same time as the open to make sure I close files as soon as I'm done with them. This not only reduces the chance of the "too many open files" type of errors it also reduces the time the file is locked and reduces the chance of file corruption if your program crashes with open files.	[reply] [d/l]