From: ara.t.howard@...
Date: 2006-09-06T02:58:32+09:00
Subject: Re: File.ctime for detecting directory modifications?

On Sat, 2 Sep 2006, Eero Saynatkari wrote:

> Hi!
>
> Can anyone tell me if Ruby's File.ctime can be reliably
> used to detect if a directory's contents have changed?
>
> I do not need to know of changes to files, just adds and
> deletes of files to/from the directory itself.
>
> I have tested this on FreeBSD and OpenBSD and both seem
> to indicate my expected behaviour (although File.mtime
> does not)--if anyone can try other platforms or knows
> offhand, the information would be appreciated. Windows
> is not a concern.
>
> In case you are curious, I intend to cache the files under
> $PATH and only re-access them if a modification has been
> detected. Alternative solutions to this are also welcome.

this may interest you, we've used it in production for years:

   http://codeforpeople.com/lib/ruby/dirwatch/dirwatch-0.9.0/README

i'm about to release a new version - fyi.

-a
-- 
what science finds to be nonexistent, we must accept as nonexistent; but what
science merely does not find is a completely different matter... it is quite
clear that there are many, many mysterious things.
- h.h. the 14th dalai lama