spawn error doesn't utilize event handlers

[ORESoftware]

Nodejs version 6.10.x

I have this:

const file = path.resolve(__dirname + '/foo.js');
const  n = cp.spawn(file, []);  // EACCES error is thrown here

n.once('error', function () {
  // this does not get hit !!
});

so it seems like I should do this instead (but the try/catch seems unfortunate):

let n;

try{
  n = cp.spawn(file, []);  //  EACCES error is thrown here
}
catch(err){
  return cb(err);
}

n.once('error', function () {
  // this does not get hit !!
});

seems like the 'error' handler should be given the chance to capture error, instead of necessitating a try/catch, am I doing something wrong?

Perhaps because Node core does not even create the n child process object, that seems like an implementation "mistake".

---

HOW TO REPLICATE:

Create a file without executable permissions, then try to execute it directly:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
touch my-non-executable-file.js
./my-non-executable-file.js

so that would be something like:

const k = cp.spawn('/foo/bar/my-non-executable-file.js');

the above should throw an error, instead of using k.on('error', fn)

[gireeshpunathil]

one can argue that n represents a child process and in this case as the process was never created, n not being fully formed makes sense.

Technically it may be possible to first compose a JS object that is going to abstract the child process that is being spawned. But a more natural way of doing this is to materialize the entity first, and then abstract the entity. (the entity here being the native process).

Is it against your convictions?

[ORESoftware]

eh, because the child process was never "started", I can't use an 'exit' handler on the child process, which forces me to rethink my own program design. It seems like a child was started in reality, but I don't know the internals that well. I don't see why you'd ever have to put a try/catch around spawn. IMO a better design would be to always use n.on('error').

@bnoordhuis this seems like a design mistake in node core. Having to put try/catch around

try{
cp.spawn('node')
}
catch(err){
}

seems wrong :) I hate try/catch lol

[gireeshpunathil]

this block of code defines what is runtime error and what is a linkage error, and the current list does not contain UV_EACCES. If I add this patch the above code runs fine:

--- a/lib/internal/child_process.js
+++ b/lib/internal/child_process.js
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ const {
   UV_ENFILE,
   UV_ENOENT,
   UV_ENOSYS,
-  UV_ESRCH
+  UV_ESRCH,
+  UV_EACCES
 } = process.binding('uv');
 
 const errnoException = errors.errnoException;
@@ -308,6 +309,7 @@ ChildProcess.prototype.spawn = function(options) {
   if (err === UV_EAGAIN ||
       err === UV_EMFILE ||
       err === UV_ENFILE ||
+      err === UV_EACCES ||
       err === UV_ENOENT) {
     process.nextTick(onErrorNT, this, err);
     // There is no point in continuing when we've hit EMFILE or ENFILE

question is on the protocol definition of runtime error and whether UV_EACCES comes under its purview or not.

/cc @nodejs/child_process