*temporary-directory*

The value of this variable should be a pathname object naming a directory. This directory will be used as the temporary directory by temporary-directory.

The value of this variable can also be nil. If it is nil, when temporary-directory is called, it will determine a suitable value and make it the value of this variable.

sys:temporary-directory should be used to access the value of this variable. It tests (using probe-file) whether the value of this variable is nil or an invalid directory pathname, resetting the value to a suitable directory pathname if probe-file returns nil and returning this variable's value if probe-file returns true. See sys:temporary-directory for details on how a new directory is chosen if necessary.

The initial value of this variable is nil. In images created by dumplisp, build-lisp-image, or generate-application, it may happen that the initial value in an image is a valid directory pathname set in some fashion during image creation. In that case, that directory will be used (even if this is not the intention of the user).

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This page was not revised from the 8.1 page.
Created 2010.1.21.