Add `--watch-path-if-exists`

[xzyfer]

What is the problem this feature will solve?

With --watch and --env-file it became possible to replace fs watcher packages with native functionality with something like

node --env-file=.env --watch-path=.env --watch main.js

#50993 introduced --env-file-if-exists which makes it possible to replace dotenv loader libraries with native functionality with something like

node --env-file=.env --env-file-if-exists=.env.local --watch-path=.env --watch main.js

However there is no complimentary --watch-path-if-exists so it's not possible for the watcher to restart on changes to --env-file-if-exists paths.

Instead an error is thrown

Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, watch '/Users/xzyfer/dev/my-ap/.env.local'

What is the feature you are proposing to solve the problem?

Add a flag (or other mechanism) complimentary to #50993 to indicate that a path should be watched only it's found, and to throw otherwise.

What alternatives have you considered?

touching the watched files before running node; invoking node via a shell script and "building up" the cli opts; pre-existing dotenv loaders such as the dotenv package.

[juanarbol]

I don't get it. What's the point of listen to events of files that may or may not exist?

This and env is a different story, if your env settings are not in a file, maybe you want to use the default env somehow.

Like, why would you like Node.js to restart itself if a file that is not critical changes? Help me understand why people need this.

[anonrig]

I think cli commands are getting out of hand.

[juanarbol]

Due to no activity, I'm closing this.