files locked for other access open [' '(more problem for windows than unixopen [' ' there' more to it than just flushingthough holding file open signals to the underlying computer operating system that you have an interest in the file how the operating system reacts to this varies from system to systembut microsoft windows(tmwill lock file so that if you have it open for writing nobody else can open it for readingeven if you don' plan to write any more to it than you have already