## Default S3 method:
pushTemporaryFile(filename, path=NULL, suffix=".tmp", isFile=FALSE, ..., verbose=FALSE)

createAtomically <- function(pathname, ...) {
  cat("Pathname: ", pathname, "\n", sep="");

  # Generate a file atomically, i.e. the file will either be
  # complete or not created at all.  If interrupted while
  # writing, only a temporary file will exist/remain.
  pathnameT <- pushTemporaryFile(pathname);
  cat("Temporary pathname: ", pathnameT, "\n", sep="");

  cat(file=pathnameT, "This file was created atomically:\n");
  for (kk in 1:10) {
    cat(file=pathnameT, kk, "\n", append=TRUE);
    # Emulate a slow process
    if (interactive()) Sys.sleep(0.1)
  }
  cat(file=pathnameT, "END OF FILE\n", append=TRUE);

  # Rename the temporary file
  pathname <- popTemporaryFile(pathnameT);

  pathname;
} # createAtomically()


pathname <- tempfile();

tryCatch({
  # Try to interrupt the process while writing...
  pathname <- createAtomically(pathname);
}, interrupt=function(intr) {
  str(intr);
})

# ...and this will throw an exception
bfr <- readLines(pathname);
cat(bfr, sep="\n");