Build specs should NOT silently remove items if they are deleted on disk

[GregFreeman]

I currently have a project with an auto-populating folder for documentation. That documentation is included in my Installer build specification.

If I regenerate that documentation while the project is open, the auto-populating folder sees it disappear from disk and removes it from my installer! No notification, nothing. Just completely silent. This has resulted in shipped installers with missing documentation

I propose this should work the same way any other dependency does if it disappears from disk. It should break the installer from building and show a warning sign that the dependency is missing.

[wiebe@CARYA]

Same for re-building a dll (if it's not locked). 

+1

[raphschru]

What if you add the folder itself (instead of each file) to the installer, then regenerate the content of the folder?

Otherwise if you don't want this behavior on a single-file dependency, put it inside a virtual folder instead of an auto-populated one. In case this file is missing, the project explorer itself will show a missing file warning.

I think the behavior you observe is consistent with the philosophy behind the auto-populated folder. Since it auto-populates, then it should also "auto-depopulate" 😁.

[wiebe@CARYA]

>I think the behavior you observe is consistent with the philosophy behind the auto-populated folder. Since it auto-populates, then it should also "auto-depopulate" 

But it should follow the behavior of files. If you remove a file from a library or class, you get 'missing file'. That is what you'd expect in ta build specification.

I haven't tested adding a folder, but I have a recollection (that might be wrong) that adding a folder will only add the files in the folder once. If files are added, you have to add the folder again (or the added file). But that's only how I remember it.

.

[thadyale]

I do think if you explicitly include a file from an auto-populating folder, it should at least attempt to find that file at build time instead of simply vanishing during the moment where the file is replaced.

But in the meantime, I recommend simply including an entire autopopulating folder in your build, if possible.  I do that in my RT packages and it works great, even with files that get regenerated during the application build process.