The tempnam function generates filenames for temporary files. It allows you to control the choice of a directory. If the directory argument is null or points to a string that is not a pathname for an appropriate directory, the pathname defined as P_tmpdir in the <stdio.h> header file is used. For programs running under a detached process, the directory argument cannot be null. You can bypass the selection of a pathname by providing the TMPDIR environment variable in the user environment. The value of the TMPDIR variable is a pathname for the desired temporary file directory. Use the prefix argument to specify a prefix of up to five characters for the temporary filename. The tempnam function returns a pointer to the generated pathname, suitable for use in a subsequent call to the free function. See also free. NOTE In contrast to tmpnam, tempnam does not have to generate a different filename on each call. tempnam generates a new filename only if the file with the specified name exists. If you need a unique filename on each call, use tmpnam instead of tempnam.