Sample code:

```
import os
from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory

name = TemporaryDirectory().name
print(os.path.exists(name))  # prints False

td = TemporaryDirectory()
name_2 = td.name
print(os.path.exists(name_2))  # prints True
```

Expected behavior: `True` is printed for both print statements.

I have run this example on:

* CPython 3.6.3
* CPython 3.5.3
* pypy 3.5.3

The unexpected behavior occurs on CPython 3.5.3 and CPython 3.6.X but not on pypy.

(bug found with Tim Weidner https://github.com/timaa2k).

> The unexpected behavior occurs on CPython 3.5.3 and CPython 3.6.X but not on pypy.

This suggests that it is something to do with garbage collection. Upon further thought, maybe this is by design, but I still was surprised.

This is by design. The first TemporaryDirectory object is destroyed before the first print statement. For not be surprised use TemporaryDirectory with the "with" statement.

with TemporaryDirectory() as td:
    name = td.name
    print(os.path.exists(name))  # prints True

print(os.path.exists(name))  # prints False

The documentation says “On . . . destruction of the temporary directory object the newly created temporary directory and all its contents are removed”. If you had enabled warnings, you may have seen a hint:

$ python -Wdefault -c 'import tempfile; print(tempfile.TemporaryDirectory().name)'
/usr/lib/python3.5/tempfile.py:788: ResourceWarning: Implicitly cleaning up <TemporaryDirectory '/tmp/tmpj6100h57'>
  _warnings.warn(warn_message, ResourceWarning)
/tmp/tmpj6100h57

This is similar in spirit to earlier bug reports where workarounds were added, but to avoid this instance of the problem the string object returned by the “name” attribute would have to hold a reference back to the directory object.

* Issue 23700: iter(NamedTemporaryFile())
* Issue 18879: NamedTemporaryFile().write(...)

Thank you for clearing this up for me.

resolution: wont fix -> not a bug
stage: resolved

nosy: + serhiy.storchaka
messages: + msg305639

resolution: not a bug
stage: resolved