Is there a single way of detecting if a directory/file/symlink/etc. entity (more generalized) exists?
I need a single function because I need to check an array of paths that could be directories, files or symlinks. I know File.exists?"file_path" works for directories and files but not for symlinks (which is File.symlink?"symlink_path").
The standard File module has the usual file tests available:
RUBY_VERSION # => "1.9.2"
bashrc = ENV['HOME'] + '/.bashrc'
File.exist?(bashrc) # => true
File.file?(bashrc) # => true
File.directory?(bashrc) # => false
You should be able to find what you want there.
OP: "Thanks but I need all three true or false"
Obviously not. Ok, try something like:
def file_dir_or_symlink_exists?(path_to_file)
File.exist?(path_to_file) || File.symlink?(path_to_file)
end
file_dir_or_symlink_exists?(bashrc) # => true
file_dir_or_symlink_exists?('/Users') # => true
file_dir_or_symlink_exists?('/usr/bin/ruby') # => true
file_dir_or_symlink_exists?('some/bogus/path/to/a/black/hole') # => false
ENV['HOME'] + '/.bashrc') which may not work cross-platform. You should use Ruby File joins and also why not start from Rails.root if you are using Rails. File.exists?(Rails.root.join('db', 'my_seeds.csv')
/ isn't the issue though, since Ruby's IO automatically converts from forward slashes to back slashes on Windows.
bash into the Start Menu, and in the resulting console window, cat ~/.bashrc produces output. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Why not define your own function File.exists?(path) or File.symlink?(path) and use that?
Just File.exist? on it's own will take care of all of the above for you
trueif the symlink exists, regardless of whether it can be ultimately resolved to a non-symlink. I.e. it should returntruefor broken links as well.File.exists?will only returntruefor a symlink that's not broken.