Remove function not working [duplicate]

Question

I am trying to remove a file in my C program. So I first of all check whether the file exists and then if it does I use the remove function. Here is my code:

    if (!(f = fopen(position, "r")))
    {
        system("cls");
        printf("User does not exist! Please enter the user again: ");
    }
    else
    {
        status = remove(position);

        /*Check if file has been properly deleted*/
        if(status == 0)
        {
            printf("User deleted successfully.\n\n");
            break;
        }
        else
        {
            printf("Unable to delete the user\n");
        }
    }

Surely if the file definitely exists there should be no problem with removing the file. Anyway this bit of code is not working. And I just get returned "Unable to delete the user"

I have also tried using unlink along with importing unistd.h but no luck.

What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

Check this related question.

If you have to remove an fopen()-ed path (file), it will be removed only if you fclose() it.**

But I think if you just want to remove the file without using it just before, don't use fopen and just call the remove function.

**EDIT : It's not even known and it's system dependent.

So the best way for removing a file is to doing it is to call remove(path_of_file) when your not streaming it :

remove(path_of_file);

or if you need to open the file:

fopen/open;
(...)
fclose/fclose;
remove

Answer 2

From ISO/IEC9899

7.19.4.1 The remove function

[...]

Description

2 The remove function causes the file whose name is the string pointed to by filename to be no longer accessible by that name. A subsequent attempt to open that file using that name will fail, unless it is created anew. If the file is open, the behavior of the remove function is implementation-defined.

Simply read the standard helps alot ;)