fs.watchFile does not detect deletion of unmodified files under certain conditions.

[dominictarr]

If you fs.watchFile(file,...) a newly created flie in the listener of a fs.watchFile on it's parent directory,
then delete that file without otherwise modifying it, then that delete will never be noticed.

Here is a script to reproduce:
https://gist.github.com/50ac9170e4615df2b644

first discovered this here
mikeal/watch#36

This bug only strikes when you start watching a new file in response to it's creation (which you detected by watching it's directory). If the file already exists when you start node, (and you start watching it after traversing that directory) then it will be detected correctly.

the deletion can be detected by doing an fs.readdir,
and then comparing that list to what you though you had.
but there is probably a much better way to fix this bug.

[bnoordhuis]

Can you post the expected and actual output that you're seeing? I'm under the impression that it WFM. Here is what I see:

> rm hello
> touch hello2
modify /home/bnoordhuis/src/nodejs/master/hello2 Sun Sep 16 2012 01:23:14 GMT+0200 (CEST)
> rm hello2
delete /home/bnoordhuis/src/nodejs/master/hello2 Thu Jan 01 1970 01:00:00 GMT+0100 (CET)

Also, on what OS is this?

[dominictarr]

oh sorry. I didn't describe the script correctly.

There are two files in the script, hello, and hello2.
hello sees

touch hello
rm hello

and hello2 gets

touch hello2
touch hello2
rm hello2

(both with pauses to allow fs.watchFile time)

The problem is rm hello is not detected.
hello2 is touched twice, and that is what works around the bug.

So, I'm expecting:

rm hello
delete /home/bnoordhuis/src/nodejs/master/hello Sun Sep 16 2012 01:23:14 GMT+0200 (CEST)

But that doesn't happen.

I'm on ubuntu 12

[bnoordhuis]

Thanks, confirmed. Fixed in 39a0836.

[dominictarr]

sweet! thanks!