Tcl Source Code

This test demos the problem.
Filesystem paths violate 
"everything is a string"
Patch attached.

test filesystem-1.42 {file normalisation: outdated
cache} -setup {
    set w [makeDirectory wrong]
    makeFile wrong file $w
    set r [makeDirectory right]
    makeFile right file $r
    set link [file join [file dirname $w] link]
    file link $link wrong
} -body {
    set p1 [file join $link file]       ;# $p1 and $p2
have same (string)
    set p2 [file join $link file]       ;# value
    file normalize $p1          ;# cache the "wrong"
normalized path

    file delete $link
    file link $link right       ;# change link reference

    # Because string values are the same, according to
Tcl value
    # rules, these operations should produce consistent
results.
    # They do not, because $p1 holds an outdated cached
normalized
    # path, breaking "everything is a string".
    set result {}
    lappend result $p1
    set f [open $p1]
    lappend result [read -nonewline $f]
    close $f
    lappend result [file normalize $p1]

    lappend result $p2
    set f [open $p2]
    lappend result [read -nonewline $f]
    close $f
    lappend result [file normalize $p2]

} -cleanup {
    file delete $link
    removeFile file $r
    removeDirectory right
    removeFile file $w
    removeDirectory wrong
} -match glob -result\
{*/link/file right */right/file */link/file right
*/right/file}

I don't know if this bug is still present as of 8.6.5 but as I noted for [a47641a031], imho file link should update the file system epoch just as mounting of file systems and changes to env do. That should flush the incorrect cached value.

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Not yet.  Just wanted to
get the matter "on the record".

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Ugh.  This isn't nice.  Fixing it without removing all cache
usage will be quite difficult.  Any suggestions?

File Added - 87041: normcache.patch