====== Request for Comments: Modify tempnam() to handle directories and auto-cleanup ======
  * Version: 1.0
  * Date: 2012-11-26
  * Author: Sara Golemon <pollita@php.net>
  * Status: Withdrawn
  * First Published at: http://wiki.php.net/rfc/request-tempnam

===== Introduction =====

This RFC recommends a set of changes to the tempnam() standard function.

  - Extend the signature to include an "options" parameter (default keeping current behavior).
  - Define TEMPNAM_DIR constant which, when passed to options, creates a directory instead of a file.
  - Define TEMPNAM_REQUEST constant which, when passed to options, automatically removes the file/directory at the end of the request.

===== TEMPNAM_REQUEST =====

It's a common bug to forget to remove temporary files and after a period of time these may overpopulate the filesystem.  TEMPNAM_REQUEST seeks to avoid this by building a mechanism to automatically clean up after scripts.

  $fn = tempnam("/tmp/", "test-", TEMPNAM_REQUEST);
  file_put_contents($fn, "This is some data");
  echo shell_exec("/usr/bin/someprog " . escapeshellarg($fn));
  // No need to explicitly unlink($fn), since it will be cleaned up at request end

===== TEMPNAM_DIR =====

TEMPNAM_DIR expands the scope and usability of this function to whole directories of files while keeping the number of entities which need to be tracked low.

  $file = tempnam("/tmp/", "", TEMPNAM_REQUEST);
  copy('http://www.php.net/get/php-5.4.9.tar.gz/from/us3.php.net/mirror', $file);
  
  $dir  = tempnam("/tmp/", "", TEMPNAM_DIR | TEMPNAM_REQUEST);
  $dir  = escapeshellarg($dir);
  $file = escapeshellarg($file);
  shell_exec("cd $dir && tar -zxf $file");
  // tarball expanded into dir, both will be removed at request end

===== tmpfile() ====

Although the existing function tmpfile() provides for the TEMPNAM_REQUEST cleanup functionality, it does not provide an actual filename which can be passed to external programs.

===== Implementation =====

  * Add a HashTable to FG() locals for tracking request-temporary files/directories.
  * Expand tempnam() to call existing system functions when options == 0
  * For cases when options != 0, generate a filename using dir/prefix and uniqid() (or other mechanism) and attempt to create manually.
  * For the TEMPNAM_REQUEST case specifically, add the generated filename to FG(request_tempnam) HashTable.
  * At end of request, iterate through FG(request_tempnam) removing all temporary files/dirs.

===== Other Options =====

  * Leave tempnam() as it is, but add request_cleanup() function(s) to manage list of files to delete at request end.  e.g. request_cleanup($fn = tempnam("/tmp",""));
  * Add tempdir() function to separate that out from the request auto-cleanup subject
  * ...

===== Proposal and Patch =====

Coming soon, giving a chance to start discussion early.