getzola/zola · error

get file time

Error message

get file time

What it means

When hashing a DataSource::Path for the load_data cache key, hash calls get_file_time(path) to include the file's modified time, and panics with 'get file time' if that fails. get_file_time fails when the path doesn't exist, isn't readable, or its metadata can't be retrieved — so a load_data(path=...) pointing at a missing/unreadable file aborts here.

Source

Thrown at components/templates/src/functions/load_data.rs:157

    ) -> u64 {
        let mut hasher = DefaultHasher::new();
        format.hash(&mut hasher);
        method.hash(&mut hasher);
        post_body.hash(&mut hasher);
        post_content_type.hash(&mut hasher);
        headers.hash(&mut hasher);
        self.hash(&mut hasher);
        hasher.finish()
    }
}

impl Hash for DataSource {
    fn hash<H: Hasher>(&self, state: &mut H) {
        match self {
            DataSource::Url(url) => url.hash(state),
            DataSource::Path(path) => {
                path.hash(state);
                get_file_time(path).expect("get file time").hash(state);
            }
            // TODO: double check expectations here
            DataSource::Literal(string_literal) => string_literal.hash(state),
        };
    }
}

fn get_output_format_from_args(
    format_arg: Option<String>,
    data_source: &DataSource,
) -> TeraResult<OutputFormat> {
    if let Some(format) = format_arg {
        return OutputFormat::from_str(&format);
    }

    if let DataSource::Path(path) = data_source {
        match path.extension().and_then(|e| e.to_str()) {
            Some(ext) => OutputFormat::from_str(ext).or(Ok(OutputFormat::Plain)),

View on GitHub (pinned to 61d3082821)

Solutions

1. Verify the file exists at the given path relative to the site root/content dir and check for typos.
2. Check file permissions and that the file isn't a broken symlink.
3. Ensure the data file is included in the build environment (volume mount, COPY in Docker).
4. Use a literal or URL data source, or guard the path's existence before load_data.

Example fix

// before
let d = load_data(path = "data/missing.toml");
// after
// ensure data/missing.toml exists (or check first):
// ls data/missing.toml  -> create or fix the path
let d = load_data(path = "data/posts.toml");

// Verify the data file is stat-able before load_data
let p = std::path::Path::new("data/posts.toml");
if p.metadata().is_err() {
    eprintln!("load_data target missing or unreadable: {:?}", p);
}

fn file_stat_ok(path: &Path) -> bool {
    std::fs::metadata(path).map(|m| m.is_file()).unwrap_or(false)
}

match std::panic::catch_unwind(|| data.hash(&mut hasher)) {
    Ok(_) => {},
    Err(_) => anyhow::bail!("data file missing/unreadable for load_data cache key"),
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling load_data with a path argument whose file cannot be stat'ed during cache-key computation: nonexistent path, permission-denied, or a path that is a broken symlink.

Common situations: Typo in the data file path; data file deleted/moved between renders; load_data executed inside Docker/CI where the data file wasn't copied; permission issues on mounted volumes.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File not found" and ENOENT errors: why libraries can't find a file that should exist — this error's family across 50 libraries.

Related errors

• Could not read `{}` because of error: {}
• `{}` is not an empty folder (hidden files are ignored).
• Image output path '{:?}' should contain a parent directory,
• Can't watch `{entry}`: OS file watch limit reached. Check ho
• Can't watch `{entry}` for changes in folder `{}`. Does it ex

AI-assisted analysis of getzola/zola@61d3082821 (2026-09-03). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d097e95404b1abe8. Report an issue: GitHub.