Fish - remove file before download

Question

I run fish shell and it gives an exception when I try to remove a file which is not found. I have the following script:

#!/usr/bin/fish

set files "/tmp/*.xlsx"
rm  -f "$files"
echo "$files"
set tmpfile (mktemp -u).xlsx
curl http://localhost:18085/myService -o "$tmpfile"  -s
xdg-open "$tmpfile"

When I run it like this than the files variable has a complete list of all the patterns. But if one of them cannot be deleted (e.g. still opened) - none would be delete.

I have two questions:

1. What is the best way to delete the files?
2. Since I'm developing sometimes the file isn't downloaded by the curl. How to check and only open if the download was successful? (check if exists or check if file size >0 or??)

Answer 1

It looks like you're programming fish like you would program sh. Try to "free your mind" of sh limitations.

1. fish variable values are lists of strings: I would expand the glob and store the list of files -- i.e. remove the quotes:

   set files /tmp/*.xlsx
   

2. then you provide the expanded list of files to rm

   rm  -f $files
   

Unrelated to the above: you can ask mktemp to append the suffix (assuming GNU coreutils)

set tmpfile (mktemp -u --suffix=.xlsx)

and then $tmpfile can be used without quotes.