A FileTask is a task that includes time based dependencies. If any of a FileTask‘s prerequisites have a timestamp that is later than the file represented by this task, then the file must be rebuilt (using the supplied actions).

Methods
Public Instance methods
needed?()

Is this file task needed? Yes if it doesn‘t exist, or if its time stamp is out of date.

[ show source ]

     # File lib/rake.rb, line 508
508:     def needed?
509:       return true unless File.exist?(name)
510:       return true if out_of_date?(timestamp)
511:       false
512:     end
timestamp()

Time stamp for file task.

[ show source ]

     # File lib/rake.rb, line 515
515:     def timestamp
516:       if File.exist?(name)
517:         File.mtime(name.to_s)
518:       else
519:         Rake::EARLY
520:       end
521:     end