From: Chris Dwan <radixhound@...>
Date: 2007-07-22T19:21:19+09:00
Subject: Problem with File.exists? giving an incorrect result

I have a problem with a script I'm working on.  File.exists? is  
telling me that a file does in fact exist, then immediately after  
when I try to do a File.read, it crashes because the file doesn't  
exist.  I know that it does not exist, because I'm testing that  
condition. If the file doesn't exist, it should do something else.

<sigh> this is on Windows, so maybe the OS is to blame?
Here's the code, if it helps..

             $debug_log.fatal("does file exist? :: #{ibl}")
             if File.exist?(ibl)
               $debug_log.fatal("YES - it most certainlyt does!")
               iblLocation = ibl
             else
                 #find the file and set iblLocation
             end
             File.read(iblLocation) # << bombs here

The file referred to by ibl was recently renamed by this same script,  
so the file name in ibl is no longer valid. The script should then go  
looking for ibl's new name and use that... but it won't work <sob><sob>

Hope someone can enlighten me.
Thanks!