tmp - Temporary File & Directory Management

The tmp module provides a cross-platform way to handle temporary storage, automatically identifying the system's temporary directory ($TMPDIR) and providing tools for safe creation.

When to Activate

• When a script needs a safe path for intermediate files.
• When creating temporary directories with random suffixes to avoid collisions.
• When managing a custom temporary root for a session or application.

Core Principles & Rules

• Cross-Platform Safety: Always rely on x tmp path instead of hardcoding /tmp to ensure compatibility across OS types (including Termux).
• Efficiency for Scripts: Use underscored subcommands (e.g., path_, mkdir_) in scripts to store results directly in the x_ variable.
• Prefixing: Use --prefix when creating directories to ensure unique, identifiable temporary storage.

Patterns & Examples

Get Temporary Path

# Get a safe temporary path for a specific app subdirectory
x tmp path myapp/cache

Create Unique Directory

# Create a temporary directory with a specific prefix
x tmp mkdir --prefix mytask_

Create Empty Temp File

# Quickly generate an empty file in the system temp directory
x tmp mkfile session_data.txt

Checklist

• Verify if a specific subdirectory structure is needed within the temp path.
• Confirm if the directory should have a random suffix (--prefix).
• Check if a custom temporary root is required for the current session.