I want to perform asynchronous file IO operations. Here is a simplified version of what I am trying to do in Vala:
void main(string[] args) {
store_async();
while(true)
;
}
async void store_async() {
File file = File.new_for_path("settings.ini");
stderr.printf("Checking if file exists...\n");
if (!file.query_exists()) {
stderr.printf("About to yield file.create_async...\n");
try {
yield file.create_async(FileCreateFlags.REPLACE_DESTINATION);
} catch (Error err) {
error("Error creating file: %s\n", err.message);
}
stderr.printf("Returned from file.create_async.\n");
}
string data = "hello\n";
string new_etag;
stderr.printf("About to yield file.replace_contents_async...\n");
try {
yield file.replace_contents_async(
data.data,
null,
false,
FileCreateFlags.NONE,
null,
out new_etag);
} catch (Error err) {
error("Error replacing contents: %s\n", err.message);
}
stderr.printf("Returned from file.replace_contents_async.\n");
}
When I run this program, and no file settings.ini
exists, settings.ini
is created and I see this output:
Checking if file exists...
About to yield file.create_async...
(hangs)
If settings.ini
exists, nothing is written to it, and I see this output:
Checking if file exists...
About to yield file.create_async...
(hangs)
I have a similar problem if I try to reproduce the issue in C. Here is my C code (it doesn't replicate the entire vala example above, just the part that creates the file):
#include <glib.h>
#include <gio/gio.h>
#include <stdio.h>
void create_callback(GObject *source_object, GAsyncResult *res, gpointer user_data);
void write_contents();
GFile* file;
void main(int argc, char** argv) {
g_type_init();
fprintf(stderr, "Before file_new_for_path\n");
file = g_file_new_for_path("settings.ini");
fprintf(stderr, "Before file_query_exists\n");
if (!g_file_query_exists(file, NULL)) {
fprintf(stderr, "Before file_create_async\n");
g_file_create_async(
file,
G_FILE_CREATE_REPLACE_DESTINATION,
G_PRIORITY_DEFAULT,
NULL,
create_callback,
NULL);
fprintf(stderr, "After file_create_async\n");
} else {
fprintf(stderr, "File already exists. Before write_contents\n");
write_contents();
fprintf(stderr, "File already exists. After write_contents\n");
}
while(TRUE)
;
}
void create_callback(GObject *source_object, GAsyncResult *res, gpointer user_data) {
fprintf(stderr, "In create_callback. Before write_contents.\n");
write_contents();
fprintf(stderr, "In create_callback. After write_contents.\n");
}
void write_contents() {
fprintf(stderr, "In write_contents\n");
}
When I run this example, I see this output (assuming settings.ini
does not exist):
Before file_new_for_path
Before file_query_exists
Before file_create_async
After file_create_async
(hangs)
In other words, create_callback
is never called.
What am I doing wrong? Why don't g_file_create_async
and g_file_replace_contents_async
ever complete when I call them?