How can I copy an empty directory structure?Copy task is skipped 'as it has no source files'

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1

How can I copy an empty directory structure? Copy task is skipped

the log ( gradle -i) says

Skipping task ‘:’ as it has no source files’

2

Warning! Warning! Warning!

Serious hack about to be presented. There should be an easier way, but defeating the copy task’s desired to actually want at least one file to copy is not straight-forward. There must be a better pattern, but this at least works, although in order to catch new/removed directories you have to force it to always run (otherwise it’ll think it is up-to-date, as the checks are only done against changed files)

task mySync(type: Sync) {
  from 'bogus'
  includeEmptyDirs = true
    from 'empty'
  into "$buildDir/sync"
    doFirst {
    // Some totally unique name to exclude upon
    exclude 'bogus.txt'
  }
    outputs.upToDateWhen { false }
}

ROOT
|
 build.gradle
|
+---bogus
|
     bogus.txt
|
\---empty
    +---lower
    |
 \---waydown
    \---other

After running gradle mySync you should find just the empty directories copied to where you’d like.

ROOT
|
 build.gradle
|
+---bogus
|
     bogus.txt
|
+---build
|
 \---sync
|
     +---lower
|
     |
 \---waydown
|
     \---other
\---empty
    +---lower
    |
 \---waydown
    \---other

A Copy task would also work assuming directories were never removed between invocations. The upToDateWhen() is simply to be able to catch the case where a new empty subdirectory is added (or removed), since the checks only examine file hashes.

If you have at least one file in your directory structure, then simply setting includeEmptyDirs = true would be sufficient for a Copy or Sync task, but that did not seem to be your issue.

-Spencer

3

Add this to a ‘doLast’ block of your task:

["empty/lower/waydown/",
  "empty/other/", ]
  .each { new File(it).mkdirs() }