import Nanoquery.IO

def guaranteedTempFile()
	// create a file object to generate temp file names
	$namegen = new(File)

	// generate a temp filename
	$tempname = $namegen.tempFileName()
	
	// file names are generated with uuids so they shouldn't repeat
	// in the case that they do, generate new ones until the generated
	// filename is unique
	$tempfile = new(File, $tempname)
	while ($tempfile.exists())
		$tempname = $namegen.tempFileName()
		$tempfile = new(File, $tempname)
	end

	// create the file and lock it from writing
	$tempfile.create()
	lock $tempfile.fullPath()

	// return the file reference
	return $tempfile
end