I need to replace a file when it exists

[Manuales]

Hi ...
my user is using .cshrc

if there is a file created and if i want to replace it appears the following:
unix1: cat > test
test: File exists.

how can i avoid it? it does not mind if it exists, it has to be replaced.
how can i avoid it?
please let me know.

Regards.

[Hein van den Heuvel]

I just means je have no right ro remove x.
Do an ls -l test
Is it a directory?
What is the mode?

I could not quickly reproduce the exact message, but here is a similar situation:

$ cat > x
blah blah
$ cat > x
this works
$ mkdir x
mkdir: cannot create x: File exists


hth,
Hein

[Manuales]

no .. test is a file ..

this is the way it is working:
server1 38: ls -l test
test not found
server1 39: cat > test
bla bla
server1 40: ls -l test
-rw-rw-rw- 1 user1 sapsys2 9 Sep 28 22:04 test
server1 41: cat > test
test: File exists.
server1 42:

what do i have to modify into .cshrc for user1 can replace files when i a script is using ">" .
thanks.

[Bill Hassell · Accepted solution]

Just like POSIX shells like ksh, the noclobber option prevents > from changing an existing file. This is to prevent destroying the contents of an existing file. You can override this setting by using:

>!test

Someone has set this option in your environment, perhaps in /etc/cshrc or your .cshrc file.

In POSIX shells, you override noclobhber with | rather than ! but otherwise, the form is the same. Most script writers find this behavior annoying and unexpected when noclobber has been set.

[Dennis Handly]

>how can i avoid it? it does not mind if it exists, it has to be replaced. how can i avoid it?

Besides Bill's noclobber solution, you can just remove the file first:
% rm -f test
% cat > test

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Manuales:

Don't name a script (or any file) "test". This can create ambiguous situations for the shell which has a built-in 'test' or for that matter with the '/usr/bin/test' command!

Regards!

...JRF...

[Dennis Handly]

>JRF: Don't name a script (or any file) "test".

Yes, I've had that happen with executables. :-(

[Peter Nikitka]

Hi,

remembering one of your last posts, I guess we have to to with a CSH.
There is a variable 'noclobber', which controls the behavior in cases, where a redirection would overwrite an existing file.
Additionally there is another redirection symbol, which ignores an existing file.
% touch hu
% cat >hu
hu: File exists
% echo a >&hu # works
% set noclobber
% echo b >hu # works as well

mfG Peter