Files created right before watching starts make watching go into a loop

[KidkArolis]

I've noticed this strange behaviour where watcher loops for 10 seconds due to this code:

if(data) {
  var ts = data[0] === data[1] ? data[0] + FS_ACCURENCY : data[0];
  if(ts > startTime)
    watcher.emit("change", data[1] + FS_ACCURENCY);
}

https://github.com/webpack/watchpack/blob/7efdd93aff0c991a766af886ccc16324401a202f/lib/DirectoryWatcher.js#L202-L205

What I'm doing in my script is basically creating a file in a temporary directory /temp/entry.js, creating a webpack compiler and run compiler.watch(). Now for 10 seconds (which is the default value of FS_ACCURENCY) this is what's happening:

• compilation succeeds
• Watching.prototype._done gets called
• recalling Watching.prototype.watch
• which immediately triggers a change event for the /temp/entry.js file, because it's < 10 seconds old
• back to step 1

Any pointers on how to fix this would be helpful. For example, this could be fixed by modifying the above code to this, but I'd need to stare at this for longer to understand what this block of code is conceptually responsible for.

if(ts > startTime + FS_ACCURENCY) {

[cliedelt]

I still have this issue and this cannot be the expected behavior...

[turnerhayes]

I'm having this issue too and the suggested workarounds don't work. Can you reopen this?

[imagina]

Same issue here. The only fix for me was to add the plugin: https://github.com/yessky/webpack-mild-compile

[afazzdev]

i'm experiencing this bug, but with webpack 5. i've try using webpack-mild-compile but no hope. any idea how to resolve this issue?

[yessky]

i'm experiencing this bug, but with webpack 5. i've try using webpack-mild-compile but no hope. any idea how to resolve this issue? Could you provide reproduceable demo project? I'd try to fix it recently Try webpack-mild-compile@3.4.0

[hedonicadapter]

having this issue right now, the solutions don't seem to work (that is if I'm doing them correctly)

[bardsol]

Having the same issue with webpack 5

[JoshBeveridge]

Popping in here to say that I have a similar problem because I need to manipulate a file Webpack is watching before the watch compile occurs. The only solution that has worked for me is to combine the solution proposed by @fenomas with the information I found in https://github.com/webpack/webpack/issues/7997 by @jods4. By changing the mtime of the file in the invalid sync hook, the loop seems to be prevented.

Edit for context:

• I'm generating my watched file first in the environment hook to catch the initial compile and non-watch related compiles
• I then rerun the generation scripts in the invalid hook
• I then update the mtime in the invalid hook immediately after

  plugins: [
  {
  apply: (compiler) => {
    compiler.hooks.environment.tap('environment', () => {
      // ... Manipulate watched file
    })
    compiler.hooks.invalid.tap('invalid', (fileName, changeTime) => {
      // ... Manipulate watched file again
      // Update the mtime
      var my_manipulated_file = path.resolve('path/to/my/manipulated/file')
      var now = Date.now() / 1000
      var then = now - 100
      fs.utimes(my_manipulated_file, then, then, function (err) { if (err) throw err })
  },
  },
  ]

[dashcode]

Hi. Lost a workday because of this. Please, consider fixing it. Thanks.

[oshilaRightS]

Its again happening in Angular 16 related. Kindly fix this permanently. thank you.