# create unique suffix
	if (-f "$base_dir/$seq_file") {
		open(SEQ, "+<$base_dir/$seq_file")
			or diehtml("Error opening seq file: $!\n");
		$seq = <SEQ>;
		seek SEQ, 0, 0;
	} else {
		open(SEQ, ">$base_dir/$seq_file")
			or diehtml("Error creating seq file: $!\n");
		$seq = 0;
	}
	
	$outfile .= sprintf "%7.7d", $seq;
	$ordernumber = $seq;	#store this order no. before 'next' is calc.
	print SEQ ++$seq;
	close SEQ or warn "Something wrong closing seq: $!\n";
	unlink "$base_dir/.lock" or diehtml("Unlock error: $!\n");

use Fcntl;   # to get constants for O_CREAT | O_EXCL | O_RDWR
	
		sysopen(ORDERFILE, $outfile, O_WRONLY | O_EXCL | O_CREAT)
			or diehtml("Can't open order records: $!\n");

	print ORDERFILE @_;
	close ORDERFILE or warn "Something fishy with closing the order: $!\n";

}