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 Yes if it doesn‘t exist, or if its time stamp is out of date.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 770
770:     def needed?
771:       ! File.exist?(name) || out_of_date?(timestamp)
772:     end
timestamp()

Time stamp for file task.

[ show source ]

     # File lib/rake.rb, line 775
775:     def timestamp
776:       if File.exist?(name)
777:         File.mtime(name.to_s)
778:       else
779:         Rake::EARLY
780:       end
781:     end