Re: [Groff] File Locking

[Robert Thorsby]

On 14/03/08 06:20:34, Tadziu Hoffmann wrote:
> > However, I don't know what would happen if I used the text
> > editor "Save" twice in quick succession. In other words what
> > would happen if my text editor is amending the input file on
> > the "second" occasion at the same time as groff is processing
> > it as a result of the "first" save?
> 
> I'm not sure about your editor setup, but does your script run
> in the background, then?  Perhaps if you could configure your
> editor so that it waits until the script completes, then you
> wouldn't have the problem in the first place.
> 
> (I do the same in vim, and I find it quite useful to see
> the messages generated by the script.  Anyhow, updating the
> display is the last step in the procedure, and normally I only
> save-and-process when I want to see the formatted results, so
> there's no penalty in running the script in the foreground.
> Why would I want to continue hacking away at the keyboard
> until I have reviewed the updated display?)

G'day Tadziu,

Thanks for your reply. My script runs in the foreground but launches 
both the editor and gv to run in the background.

My problem (or rather, my perceived problem) was not that I "continue 
hacking away at the keyboard" which I agree is pretty stupid. I was 
afraid of what might happen if I **accidentally** did something stupid 
at the keyboard.

Ted has eased my mind by saying, in essence, that while the postscript 
output from groff might get stuffed up the input file would remain as I 
had amended it (ie, without any corruption by groff's processing). 
Therefore, all I need do is hit "Save" again (ie, for the "third" time) 
and groff will produce the output postscript file again, this time as a 
guaranteed true reflection of the input file.

Unfortunately, Ted neglected to tell me how I can prevent myself from 
stuffing up the input file from the keyboard. Perhaps there are some 
things that groff really can't do.

Thanks all,
Robert Thorsby
Money can't buy happiness, but it can certainly
rent it for a couple of hours. -- Anon