[HOLD for payment 2022-02-01] Running node run web after initial repo setup errors out if you haven't had the ./dist folder - Reported by @CSFlorin

[mvtglobally]

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Action Performed:

1. Run node run web after initial repo setup

Expected Result:

No error should display after user runs node run web after initial repo setup

Actual Result:

Running node run web after initial repo setup errors out if you haven't had the ./dist folder

Full error:

node:internal/process/promises:246
          triggerUncaughtException(err, true /* fromPromise */);
          ^

[Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/Users/g/App/dist/version.json'] {
  errno: -2,
  code: 'ENOENT',
  syscall: 'open',
  path: '/Users/g/App/dist/version.json'
}

Context
The issue is in config/webpack/CustomVersionFilePlugin.js where fs.writeFile fails if any of the file's parent directories don't exist. A solution is wrapping that call in a call to fs.mkdir with the recursive strategy to first create any of the file's parent directories if they don't yet exist (example here).
Note: I'm on Mac but from the history here, it seems this affects Windows and Linux too (I'd assume fs 's methods interact consistently with different OSes)

Workaround:

unknown

Platform:

Where is this issue occurring?

• Web

Version Number: 1.1.24-0
Reproducible in staging?: Y
Reproducible in production?:
Logs: https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4856
Notes/Photos/Videos: Any additional supporting documentation

Expensify/Expensify Issue URL:
Issue reported by: @CSFlorin
Slack conversation: https://expensify.slack.com/archives/C01GTK53T8Q/p1640764185210000

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[MelvinBot]

Triggered auto assignment to @jasperhuangg (Engineering), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/4319 for more details.

[MelvinBot]

Triggered auto assignment to @stephanieelliott (External), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/8582 for more details.

[jasperhuangg]

@mvtglobally Can you check with @CSFlorin if it works if they use npm run web instead of node run web? I'm not very familiar with this but that's the one thing that stands out to me.

@stephanieelliott This may not need to be exported if @CSFlorin was using the wrong command.

[candidia]

@jasperhuangg I confirmed the same thing happens with npm run web. To reproduce for yourself, you may clone the repo, follow steps to set up in README.md, and run that command. I expect the same across systems.

[jasperhuangg]

@stephanieelliott on second thought this should be good for an external contributor to tackle since @CSFlorin was able to confirm!

[stephanieelliott]

Job is on Upwork here: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~01bd37d23f5bb554fd

@CSFlorin, as the reporter of this issue, you have first dibs on fixing it! Please post your proposal here if you have one.

[candidia]

Thanks @stephanieelliott and @jasperhuangg

My proposal is in config/webpack/CustomVersionFilePlugin.js to do:

class CustomVersionFilePlugin {
    apply(compiler) {
        compiler.hooks.done.tap(this.constructor.name, () => new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
            const versionPath = path.join(__dirname, '/../../dist/version.json');
            fs.mkdir(path.dirname(versionPath), {recursive: true}, (dirErr) => {
                if (dirErr) {
                    reject(dirErr);
                    return;
                }
                fs.writeFile(versionPath,
                    JSON.stringify({version: APP_VERSION}),
                    'utf8',
                    (fileErr) => {
                        if (fileErr) {
                            reject(fileErr);
                            return;
                        }
                        resolve();
                    });
            });
        }));
    }
}

where we first make any directories in the path if they don't exist and then make the file.