nodejs/node · warning · GypError

Missing input files:\n%s

Error message

Missing input files:\n%s

What it means

Raised as a GypError (or printed as a warning) when MSVS generation completes but some source files referenced by targets do not exist on disk. The behavior depends on the msvs_error_on_missing_sources generator flag: if set, it is a hard error; otherwise it is a stdout warning. Missing sources produce broken Visual Studio projects.

Source

Thrown at tools/gyp/pylib/gyp/generator/msvs.py:2164

        sln_projects += gyp.common.DeepDependencyTargets(target_dicts, sln_projects)
        # Create folder hierarchy.
        root_entries = _GatherSolutionFolders(
            sln_projects, project_objects, flat=msvs_version.FlatSolution()
        )
        # Create solution.
        sln = MSVSNew.MSVSSolution(
            sln_path,
            entries=root_entries,
            variants=target_only_configs,
            websiteProperties=False,
            version=msvs_version,
        )
        sln.Write()

    if missing_sources:
        error_message = "Missing input files:\n" + "\n".join(set(missing_sources))
        if generator_flags.get("msvs_error_on_missing_sources", False):
            raise GypError(error_message)
        else:
            print("Warning: " + error_message, file=sys.stdout)


def _GenerateMSBuildFiltersFile(
    filters_path,
    source_files,
    rule_dependencies,
    extension_to_rule_name,
    platforms,
    toolset,
):
    """Generate the filters file.

    This file is used by Visual Studio to organize the presentation of source
    files into folders.

    Arguments:

View on GitHub (pinned to 1b2de5e052)

Solutions

1. Ensure all referenced source files exist on disk at generation time (run codegen, fix paths, restore deleted files).
2. Gate platform-specific or generated sources with conditions so they are only listed when present.
3. If missing sources are expected/acceptable, do not enable msvs_error_on_missing_sources (it defaults to a warning).
4. Update the .gyp sources list to remove references to deleted files.

Example fix

// before
'sources': ['gen/output.cc']  // not generated yet
// after — generate first, or guard
'conditions': [
  ['generate_output==1', { 'sources': ['gen/output.cc'] }]
]

import os
missing = [s for s in spec.get('sources', []) if not os.path.exists(s)]
if missing:
    print('warning: missing sources:', missing)

import os
def all_sources_exist(spec) -> bool:
    return all(os.path.exists(s) for s in spec.get('sources', []))

try:
    GenerateOutput(...)
except GypError as e:
    if 'Missing input files' in str(e):
        run_codegen_step(); regenerate()
    raise

When it happens

Trigger: A .gyp target lists source files that do not exist at generation time. After writing the .sln, the missing_sources collection is non-empty at msvs.py:2161 and, if generator_flags['msvs_error_on_missing_sources'] is True, GypError is raised.

Common situations: Sources generated by a prior build step that hasn't run yet; stale .gyp after files were renamed/deleted; glob patterns referencing directories that don't exist in the current checkout; cross-platform sources listed unconditionally.

Related errors

• %s is missing - make sure VC++ tools are installed.
• Could not locate Visual Studio installation.
• Appending "%s" to a non-list setting "%s" for tool "%s" is n
• Invalid MSVS guid: "%s". Must match regex: "%s".
• Target type %s is not a valid target type for target %s in %

AI-assisted analysis of nodejs/node@1b2de5e052 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/968dd60966c77c1b. Report an issue: GitHub.