Feature #7361: Adding Pathname#touch

• Status: Rejected
• Assignee: akr (Akira Tanaka)
• Target version: -

[aef (Alexander E. Fischer)]

Pathname has an #mkdir method to create a directory at the path, but does not have a #touch method to create an empty file at that path.

There were numerous cases where I had to fallback to using

new_file = Pathname.new('location/for/new/file')
FileUtils.touch(new_file)

instead of simply being able to use:

new_file.touch

I would like to add this method. If you like it, let me know. I will provide a patch then.

[mame (Yusuke Endoh)]

• Status changed from Open to Assigned
• Assignee set to akr (Akira Tanaka)
• Target version set to 2.6

[Salzig (Ben Rexin)]

Any way i can help?

[djberg96 (Daniel Berger)]

I'm a little surprise there isn't an option for this in FileUtils. Something like FileUtils.touch('/location/for/new', :force => true). I'd be in favor of adding that, or an option to FileUtils.mkpath.

[dsisnero (Dominic Sisneros)]

Any update on this

class Pathname

  def touch(options={})
    FileUtils.touch(@path, options)
  end

end

Pathname('test.pdf').touch(mtime: 1.hour.ago)

"#mkpath" almost works but doesn't have the mtime option

[akr (Akira Tanaka)]

• Status changed from Assigned to Rejected

I don't like the method name "touch".

"touch" command has multiple features:
create empty file, update mtime.
So, the intent of touch method is ambiguous.

[najamelan (Naja Melan)]

I prefer something like (warning, untested code):

def touch( subPath = '', **options )

	path = @path
	ret  = self

	if directory?

		ret  = join subPath
		path = ret.to_path

	end

	FileUtils.touch( path, **options )

	ret

end

lets you do:

mydir.touch 'somefile'

I think touch is a good name because everybody already knows it and it's what people will try out spontaneously before even looking in the docs why it doesn't work. Joel Spolsky explains quite well why this is a good thing.

[shyouhei (Shyouhei Urabe)]

We don't always blindly import broken designs; for instance Ruby do not have creat(2) equivalent method. "Everybody knows it" is (definitely a good property but) not enough.

When it comes to touch, there already is FileUtils.touch so your urgent needs are already satisfied I believe. Here on Pathname let us consider a clearer design.