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January 24
Gravatar of axricardPosted by axricardReply
axricard
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import std;

void main()
{
    auto sourceName = deleteme ~ "source";
    auto source = File(sourceName, "w");
    source.write("source");

    copy(sourceName, "/dev/null");
}

The copy to /dev/null fails : std.file.FileException@std/file.d(4348): /dev/null: Invalid argument, which is a little surprising. Why would it be an invalid argument ?

The cp command for example doesn't raise any error :

>> cp source /dev/null
>> echo $?
0
January 24
Gravatar of Jonathan M DavisPosted by Jonathan M Davis
in reply to axricard		Reply
Jonathan M Davis
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Posted in reply to axricard


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On Friday, January 24, 2025 2:57:05 AM MST axricard via Digitalmars-d-learn wrote:
> ``` D
> import std;
>
> void main()
> {
>      auto sourceName = deleteme ~ "source";
>      auto source = File(sourceName, "w");
>      source.write("source");
>
>      copy(sourceName, "/dev/null");
> }
> ```
>
> The copy to /dev/null fails : `std.file.FileException@std/file.d(4348): /dev/null: Invalid argument`, which is a little surprising. Why would it be an invalid argument ?
>
>
> The cp command for example doesn't raise any error :
>
> ```
> >> cp source /dev/null
> >> echo $?
> 0
> ```
>

Per copy's documentation, it preserve's the file's timestamps, and looking at where the exception is coming from, setting the access and modification times on /dev/null is apparently illegal (which isn't particularly surprising).

- Jonathan M Davis