Why can't QSettings be written to QTemporaryFile

tovax

@Christian-Ehrlicher
QSettings::status() is "AccessError" after settings.sync();
Output:
JCDemoAES::test 3 QSettings::AccessError

    settings.endGroup();
    settings.sync();
    qDebug() << __FUNCTION__ << 3 << settings.status();

tovax

I don't know why access error occurred.

AccessError
public static final QSettings.Status AccessError

An access error occurred (e.g. trying to write to a read-only file).

A QTemporaryFile will always be opened in QIODevice::ReadWrite mode, this allows easy access to the data in the file. This function will return true upon success and will set the fileName() to the unique filename used.

tovax

Output:
JCDemoAES::test 1 "E:/JCShared/Projects/JCDemo/JCDemoAES/build-JCDemoAES-Desktop_Qt_5_15_2_MSVC2019_64bit-Debug/debug/JCDemoAES.lwKvTB"
JCDemoAES::test 2 QSettings::NoError
JCDemoAES::test 3 QSettings::AccessError
JCDemoAES::test file: "E:/JCShared/Projects/JCDemo/JCDemoAES/build-JCDemoAES-Desktop_Qt_5_15_2_MSVC2019_64bit-Debug/debug/JCDemoAES.lwKvTB"
JCDemoAES::test content: ""

    // Init temp file
    tmpFile = new QTemporaryFile(QStringLiteral("%1/%2").arg(QApplication::applicationDirPath(), QApplication::applicationName()), this);
    tmpFile->open();
    qDebug() << __FUNCTION__ << 1 << tmpFile->fileName();

    // Settings
    QSettings settings(tmpFile->fileName(), QSettings::IniFormat);
    qDebug() << __FUNCTION__ << 2 << settings.status();
    settings.setIniCodec(QTextCodec::codecForName("UTF-8"));
    settings.beginGroup("GroupTest");

    QStringList list;
    list << QStringLiteral("0000") << QStringLiteral("1111") << QStringLiteral("2222") << QStringLiteral("3333");
    settings.setValue("UserCode", list);
    settings.setValue("UserCodeDefault", QStringLiteral("1234"));

    settings.endGroup();
    settings.sync();
    qDebug() << __FUNCTION__ << 3 << settings.status();

    // Read temp file
    QFile reader(tmpFile->fileName());
    reader.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly);
    qDebug() << __FUNCTION__ << "file:" << tmpFile->fileName();
    qDebug() << __FUNCTION__ << "content:" << reader.readAll();

    // Close temp file
    tmpFile->close();

JonB

@tovax
https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtemporaryfile.html#details

Reopening a QTemporaryFile after calling close() is safe. For as long as the QTemporaryFile object itself is not destroyed, the unique temporary file will exist and be kept open internally by QTemporaryFile.

It is possible that the fact the file is kept open internally interferes with QSettings ability to write to the file. Create or hand QSettings your own filename in the same directory as QTemporaryFile would (QDir::tempPath()) and verify that succeeds.

Reduce your code to minimum. Remove the setIniCodec(), and get rid of the beginGroup() stuff and the QStringList, just write a single simple value while you test.

Christian Ehrlicher

You can't open a file twice for read/write as @JonB correctly told you.

JonB

@tovax
I suspect you will find there is indeed a problem trying to use a QTemporaryFile for QSettings, for whatever reason. I refer you to https://www.mail-archive.com/interest@qt-project.org/msg32865.html

I decided to look at writing the settings out to a QTemporaryFile,

then just reading that data back in as a string, and then let the

QTemporaryFile go out of scope and clean itself up. But according to the

following test code, QSettings does not seem to play nicely with QTemporaryFile:

I suggest you read that thread and look at his code. Read through all the responses (I did not.) I think you will find the final advice is to use your own temporary file instead.

Christian Ehrlicher

@JonB I don't see why it's needed - all what is needs to be done is written here. Create a QTemporaryFile, open it, close it again, pass filename to QSettings and go ahead.

JonB

@Christian-Ehrlicher said in Why can't QSettings be written to QTemporaryFile:

Create a QTemporaryFile, open it, close it again, pass filename to QSettings and go ahead.

I believe the OP here tried that earlier (his post before last above) but got the same "access error", did he not? See his earlier code above:

    QTemporaryFile tmpFile(QStringLiteral("%1/%2").arg(QApplication::applicationDirPath(), QApplication::applicationName()), this);
    tmpFile.open();
    tmpFile.close();

And probably that reference tried to. QTemporaryFile::close() does not close the file, reference the docs I quoted earlier, and I looked at the source and all it does it seek(0). Doubtless to do with keeping a handle into it until the QTemporaryFile goes out of scope, whereupon it will be closed and deleted. Hence if the fact that it is kept open (for all I know with exclusive access) is what stops QSettings working cannot be avoided.

Christian Ehrlicher

@JonB You're right. It can't work since completely closing a QTemporaryFile will delete it (as this is the usecase for this class).
I also don't see a reason to use a QTemporaryFile here at all.

jeremy_k

@tovax might have better luck using QTemporaryDir, and then creating a QFile with a known name within.

SimonSchroeder

Here is what the docs say:

Reopening a QTemporaryFile after calling close() is safe. For as long as the QTemporaryFile object itself is not destroyed, the unique temporary file will exist and be kept open internally by QTemporaryFile.

So, the temporary file is kept open which is why QSettings cannot write to it. In the end, you just need a temporary file name. How about this:

QString tmpFileName;
{
    QTemporaryFile tmpFile(QStringLiteral("%1/%2").arg(QApplication::applicationDirPath(), QApplication::applicationName()), this);
    tmpFile.open();
    tmpFileName = tmpFile.fileName();
}
...

Note the curly braces to restrict the scope if of the temporary file (so it will actually be closed). I cringed a little when I saw that you leaked a pointer to the temporary file because you used new, but never deleted it.

JonB

@SimonSchroeder said in Why can't QSettings be written to QTemporaryFile:

So, the temporary file is kept open which is why QSettings cannot write to it. In the end, you just need a temporary file name. How about this:

That is what I quoted/wrote earlier on.

I do not understand why you think your code will help the OP. It is true that while the QTemporaryFile tmpFile is in scope Qt holds an open handle into it, which seems to stop QSettings writing to it. However I have previously quoted from the docs, maybe you did not notice, https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtemporaryfile.html#details

and the file will subsequently be removed upon destruction of the QTemporaryFile object.

The whole point is that when it goes out of scope to release the handle it also deletes the file. OP cannot write to file within the scope and the file will not exist any longer out of scope.

@tovax
As I sad earlier. Do not use QTemporaryFile here. Use static QString QDir::tempPath() to make your own temporary file and use that instead. It's not hard to make sure you delete that file explicitly when you are done with it.

tovax

@SimonSchroeder Hi, thank you very much for your reply. I think the tmpFile will be deleted out of the curly braces.

tovax

@Christian-Ehrlicher @jeremy_k @JonB @Pl45m4 @SimonSchroeder Thank you very much! QTemporaryDir works.
Output:
1 "temp dir:" "E:/JCShared/Projects/JCDemo/JCDemoAES/build-JCDemoAES-Desktop_Qt_5_15_2_MSVC2019_64bit-Debug/debug/.hsxxlg"
2 "temp file:" "E:/JCShared/Projects/JCDemo/JCDemoAES/build-JCDemoAES-Desktop_Qt_5_15_2_MSVC2019_64bit-Debug/debug/.hsxxlg/JCDemoAES.tmp"
3 "settings status:" QSettings::NoError
4 "temp file content:" [GroupTest]
UserCode=0000, 1111, 2222, 3333
UserCodeDefault=1234

    // Temp dir
    QTemporaryDir tmpDir(QStringLiteral("%1/").arg(QApplication::applicationDirPath()));
    qDebug() << 1 << QString("temp dir:") << tmpDir.path();

    // Temp file
    QFile tmpFile(QStringLiteral("%1/%2.tmp").arg(tmpDir.path(), QApplication::applicationName()), this);
    tmpFile.open(QFile::ReadWrite | QFile::Text | QFile::Truncate);
    tmpFile.close();
    qDebug() << 2 << QString("temp file:") << tmpFile.fileName();

    // Settings
    QSettings settings(tmpFile.fileName(), QSettings::IniFormat);
    settings.setIniCodec(QTextCodec::codecForName("UTF-8"));
    settings.beginGroup("GroupTest");

    QStringList list;
    list << QStringLiteral("0000") << QStringLiteral("1111") << QStringLiteral("2222") << QStringLiteral("3333");
    settings.setValue("UserCode", list);
    settings.setValue("UserCodeDefault", QStringLiteral("1234"));

    settings.endGroup();
    settings.sync(); // very important
    qDebug() << 3 << QString("settings status:") << settings.status();

    // Read temp file
    tmpFile.open(QFile::ReadOnly | QFile::Text);
    QByteArray ba = tmpFile.readAll();
    qDebug() << 4 << QString("temp file content:") << ba.data();
    tmpFile.close();

tovax

Reopening a QTemporaryFile after calling close() is safe. For as long as 
the QTemporaryFile object itself is not destroyed, the unique temporary 
file will exist and be kept open internally by QTemporaryFile.

SimonSchroeder

@tovax said in Why can't QSettings be written to QTemporaryFile:

I think the tmpFile will be deleted out of the curly braces.

That is correct. But, that doesn't matter because if it is gone, it is not opened by someone else anymore. There is nothing stopping you from reusing that exact file name. There is also a member function in QTemporaryFile to keep the file after your temporary file object is gone.