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doc: clarify fs.watch() and inodes on linux, os x

On Linux and OS X systems, `fs.watch()` resolves the watched path to an
inode. This clarifies that `fs.watch()` watches the inode and not the
path. If the inode of the path subsequently changes, `fs.watch()` will
continue watching the original inode and events for the path will no
longer be emitted. This is expected behavior.

Fixes: https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/5039
PR-URL: https://github.com/nodejs/node/pull/6099
Reviewed-By: James M Snell <jasnell@gmail.com>
v6.x
Joran Dirk Greef 9 years ago
committed by James M Snell
parent
commit
862e0aefde
  1. 11
      doc/api/fs.markdown

11
doc/api/fs.markdown

@ -1155,6 +1155,16 @@ reliably or at all.
You can still use `fs.watchFile`, which uses stat polling, but it is slower and
less reliable.
#### Inodes
<!--type=misc-->
On Linux and OS X systems, `fs.watch()` resolves the path to an [inode][] and
watches the inode. If the watched path is deleted and recreated, it is assigned
a new inode. The watch will emit an event for the delete but will continue
watching the *original* inode. Events for the new inode will not be emitted.
This is expected behavior.
#### Filename Argument
<!--type=misc-->
@ -1376,3 +1386,4 @@ Synchronous versions of [`fs.write()`][]. Returns the number of bytes written.
[MDN-Date]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date
[Readable Stream]: stream.html#stream_class_stream_readable
[Writable Stream]: stream.html#stream_class_stream_writable
[inode]: http://www.linux.org/threads/intro-to-inodes.4130

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