In C programming, it is essential to understand how to check if a file is open before attempting to read or write to it. Neglecting this check can lead to errors and unexpected program behavior.
There are several approaches to checking if a file is open in C. One common method involves using the `fopen()` function, which returns a `FILE` pointer if the file is successfully opened. If the file cannot be opened, `fopen()` returns `NULL`. Here’s an example: