.hledger.journal file overwritten on -f path typo

[ghost]

On Windows, the following command will overwrite the file Documents\.hledger.journal with an empty file. I sometimes make the typo with extra period in the path and I have to restore from backup. Version tested 1.14.1.

C:\Users\klacansky>hledger -f Documents.\.hledger.journal add
Creating hledger journal file C:\Users\klacansky\Documents.\.hledger.journal.
The hledger journal file "C:\Users\klacansky\Documents.\.hledger.journal" was not found.
Please create it first, eg with "hledger add" or a text editor.
Or, specify an existing journal file with -f or LEDGER_FILE.

[simonmichael]

Wow, thanks for the report. Would you be interested in debugging further ? Help available in http://irc.hledger.org.

[ghost]

On IRC, we determined the issue is the directory ending with a period '.', windows ignores it, but hledger does not, thus it will report the file does not exists, and proceed to create a new file '.hledger.journal'. However, when creating that file, windows removes the period at the end of the directory name, and thus overwrites the original file.

[alerque]

👏👏 Windows! When will you learn?

[simonmichael]

Ideas for resolution:

• mention this issue for windows users in docs
• on windows, check each part of the file path for a trailing period and warn or give an error
• report this issue to the appropriate upstream haskell lib (base ?) and do the warning/error there

[simonmichael]

More or less related:

• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4075753/how-to-delete-a-folder-that-name-ended-with-a-dot
• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/11681207/how-to-create-a-filename-with-a-trailing-period-in-windows

[simonmichael]

I recommend prioritizing it; I were not to keep backup, it would really be upsetting

[simonmichael]

...you're right. I have pushed a fix. It should also be highlighted in docs (somewhere?) for users of older hledger versions. If someone wants to propagate this discussion to the upstream haskell lib, that might be a service to the community.

[simonmichael]

I've mentioned this issue & requirement at the end of add's documentation (27c01e8). But I'm not sure this is enough. Is there somewhere else appropriate that users of older hledger might notice ?

[simonmichael]

I guess we could do this same path check for all commands (not just add and hledger-web add), which would make it more likely to be noticed before it actually causes trouble. But no.. this would require an up to date hledger version, which doesn't have the problem.

[simonmichael]

So mention in next release notes and release announcement I guess. Adding it to the FAQ as well (even though it isn't one) might not hurt.

[ghost]

Thanks!