File::Save::Home 0.08

File::Save::Home is a Perl module to place file safely under user home directory.

SYNOPSIS

use File::Save::Home qw(
get_home_directory
get_subhome_directory_status
make_subhome_directory
restore_subhome_directory_status
conceal_target_file
reveal_target_file
make_subhome_temp_directory
);

$home_dir = get_home_directory();

$desired_dir_ref = get_subhome_directory_status("desired/directory");

$desired_dir_ref = get_subhome_directory_status(
"desired/directory",
"pseudohome/directory", # two-argument version
);

$desired_dir = make_subhome_directory($desired_dir_ref);

restore_subhome_directory_status($desired_dir_ref);

$target_ref = conceal_target_file( {
dir => $desired_dir,
file => file_to_be_checked,
test => 0,
} );

reveal_target_file($target_ref);

$tmpdir = make_subhome_temp_directory();

$tmpdir = make_subhome_temp_directory(
"pseudohome/directory", # optional argument version
);

In the course of deploying an application on another users system, you sometimes need to place a file in or underneath that users home directory. Can you do so safely?

This Perl extension provides several functions which try to determine whether you can, indeed, safely create directories and files underneath a users home directory. Among other things, if you are placing a file in such a location only temporarily -- say, for testing purposes -- you can temporarily hide any already existing file with the same name and restore it to its original name and timestamps when you are done.