Closing a file using fclose

The fclose command can be used to disconnect a file pointer from a file. This is usually done so that the pointer can be used to access a different file. Systems have a limit on the number of files which can be open simultaneously, so it is a good idea to close a file when you have finished using it.

This would be done using a statement like

  fclose(output_file);

If files are still open when a program exits, the system will close them for you. However it is usually better to close the files properly.

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