Why is it important to close files after use in our Input/Output code?

Question

Reasons why closing files are necessary in a program.

Answer 1

Following up on this question, I've summarised the top reasons why you need to explicitly close an open file:
--> Files are actually a limited resource that are managed not by the language, but the OS itself. Without closing them we may risk reaching the open limit, causing problems with the continued operation of the program. Too many open files will also impact program performance due to increased demand on RAM and other OS resources.
--> Files left unintentionally open become vulnerable to loss of data. If the program or computer crashes unexpectedly, any open files may not be recovered despite the OS & languages best efforts to protect data.
--> Any changes to files done will not be readable until after the files are closed. The OS puts a lock on the open file until closed, thus useful applications such as AV scans on files may be hindered.
--> Finally, it's not best-practice coding style. To limit the amount of potential debugging, and other code issues, remember to close your files. 🙂

Answer 2

Matt 🌏

Nice information but use Feed Post for this.

Answer 3

Thanks for the response A͢J 😊 I like to research my own answers to help others but also leave the topic open for others to add to the discussion with any other info that may be pertinent. However, I agree, perhaps feed may be best for these. Kind regards. ☺️

Answer 4

Thanks A͢J and ok, appreciate the suggestion. Thought this was useful for the discuss section since it's a question and answer format, is that not the preferred way to post in Q&A? Thanks for any clarification.

Answer 5

Matt 🌏

You have a question but you also have your answer so first it is like a 'self question/answer' so people will not think to reply as it seems you know the reason about 'closing file'. Your question/answer is looks like a just 'informative purpose'. So I suggest you to post in Feed and I think other people are also thinking the same (observation).

Answer 6

In my opinion to output data

Answer 7

Closing a file after use is important because it frees up system resources that are being used by the file. When a file is open, the operating system allocates memory and other resources to the file, which can potentially impact the performance of the system if too many files are open at the same time. By closing the file, you release these resources back to the system, which can be used by other processes or programs.