Many functions that perform file operations accept either open or closed streams as arguments; see section Stream Arguments to Standardized Functions.
Of these, the functions in Figure 20--2 treat open and closed streams differently.
delete-file file-author probe-file directory file-write-date truename
Figure 20--2: File Functions that Treat Open and Closed Streams Differently
Since treatment of open streams by the file system may vary considerably between implementations, however, a closed stream might be the most reliable kind of argument for some of these functions--in particular, those in Figure 20--3. For example, in some file systems, open files are written under temporary names and not renamed until closed and/or are held invisible until closed. In general, any code that is intended to be portable should use such functions carefully.
directory probe-file truename
Figure 20--3: File Functions where Closed Streams Might Work Best
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