--env-file-if-exists throws error when the .env file doesn't exist and when combined with --watch #56887
Description
Version
23.7.0
Platform
Linux fedora 6.12.11-200.fc41.x86_64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Fri Jan 24 04:59:58 UTC 2025 x86_64 GNU/Linux Subsystem
No response
What steps will reproduce the bug?
Run any script in a project where a .env file doesn't exist:
node --env-file-if-exists=.env --watch main.jsIf the .env file exists or you don't use the --watch flag, script runs normally without throwing errors.
How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?
These need to be true for the problem to occur:
- use the flag
--env-file-if-existspointing to a non existing .env file,--env-file-if-exists=.env - use the flag
--watch
What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?
Script should run normally with the following message being printed right before it:
.env not found. Continuing without it.
What do you see instead?
An error stating .env was not found.
.env not found. Continuing without it. node:internal/fs/watchers:247 const error = new UVException({ ^ Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, watch '/home/mkvlrn/github/template-discordbot/.env' at FSWatcher.<computed> (node:internal/fs/watchers:247:19) at watch (node:fs:2551:36) at FilesWatcher.watchPath (node:internal/watch_mode/files_watcher:109:21) at FilesWatcher.filterFile (node:internal/watch_mode/files_watcher:128:12) at start (node:internal/main/watch_mode:78:13) at init (node:internal/main/watch_mode:148:15) at node:internal/main/watch_mode:160:1 { errno: -2, syscall: 'watch', code: 'ENOENT', path: '/home/mkvlrn/github/template-discordbot/.env', filename: '/home/mkvlrn/github/template-discordbot/.env' } Node.js v23.7.0 .env not found. Continuing without it. node:events:485 throw er; // Unhandled 'error' event ^ Error: write EPIPE at target._send (node:internal/child_process:877:20) at target.send (node:internal/child_process:751:19) at #createModuleJob (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:552:15) at #getJobFromResolveResult (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:312:34) at ModuleLoader.getModuleJobForImport (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:280:41) at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5) at async onImport.tracePromise.__proto__ (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:582:25) Emitted 'error' event on process instance at: at node:internal/child_process:881:39 at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:85:11) { errno: -32, code: 'EPIPE', syscall: 'write' } Node.js v23.7.0Additional information
Neither --watch nor --env-file /--env-file-if-exists documentations warn about not combining these flags.