Create Temp File¶

Zero-dependency Python snippets for creating temporary files using the standard library.

4 snippets available in this sub-category.

Simple¶

Create temporary file¶

file temp temporary tempfile

Create a temporary file that's automatically deleted

import tempfile

with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as f:
    f.write(b"Hello, World!")
    print(f"Temp file: {f.name}")

Notes

File is automatically deleted when closed
Returns file object and filename
Safe for temporary data

Create temporary file with suffix¶

file temp temporary suffix tempfile

Create temporary file with specific file extension

import tempfile

with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix=".txt") as f:
    f.write(b"Hello, World!")
    print(f"Temp file: {f.name}")

Notes

Adds .txt extension to filename
Useful for specific file types
Helps with file identification

Complex¶

Create temporary file with custom directory¶

file temp temporary directory custom tempfile

Create temporary file in specific directory with custom content

import tempfile
import os


def create_temp_file_in_dir(directory, content, suffix=""):
    """Create temporary file in specific directory."""
    if not os.path.exists(directory):
        os.makedirs(directory)

    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode="w", dir=directory, suffix=suffix, delete=False) as f:
        f.write(content)
        return f.name


temp_file = create_temp_file_in_dir("/tmp/my_temp", "Hello, World!", ".txt")
print(f"Created: {temp_file}")

Notes

Creates directory if it doesn't exist
Allows custom content and suffix
Returns filename for later use
Useful for organized temp files

Create temporary file with cleanup¶

file temp temporary cleanup manager atexit tempfile

Create temporary files with automatic cleanup on program exit

import tempfile
import os
import atexit


class TempFileManager:
    """Manage temporary files with automatic cleanup."""

    def __init__(self):
        self.temp_files = []
        atexit.register(self.cleanup)

    def create_temp_file(self, content="", suffix=""):
        """Create temporary file and track it for cleanup."""
        with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode="w", suffix=suffix, delete=False) as f:
            f.write(content)
            self.temp_files.append(f.name)
            return f.name

    def cleanup(self):
        """Remove all tracked temporary files."""
        for temp_file in self.temp_files:
            try:
                if os.path.exists(temp_file):
                    os.unlink(temp_file)
                    print(f"Cleaned up: {temp_file}")
            except OSError as e:
                print(f"Error cleaning up {temp_file}: {e}")


# Usage
temp_manager = TempFileManager()
file1 = temp_manager.create_temp_file("Data 1", ".txt")
file2 = temp_manager.create_temp_file("Data 2", ".log")
print(f"Created: {file1}, {file2}")
# Files will be automatically cleaned up when program exits

Notes

Tracks all created temporary files
Automatically cleans up on program exit
Handles cleanup errors gracefully
Useful for long-running programs

🔗 Cross-References¶

Reference: See 📂 Write File
Reference: See 📂 Delete File

🏷️ Tags¶

file, tempfile, temporary, create, delete, io

📝 Notes¶

Use tempfile module for secure temporary files
Temporary files are deleted automatically unless specified
Useful for intermediate data and testing