Bug: learn-ocaml build does not rebuild exercises with changes in dependencies listed in depend.txt

[dm0n3y]

Repro steps:

1. Set up an exercise with grader code dependencies in depend.txt as described in https://github.com/lsylvestre/learn-ocaml/blob/master/docs/tutorials/step-8.md. Get the exercise to build successfully using learn-ocaml build.
2. Make a breaking change in on the dependencies and rerun learn-ocaml build.
   Expected result: failed build
   Actual result: build command reports no changes

[dm0n3y]

As a temporary workaround, how can I clear the previously cached build state?

[erikmd]

Hi @dmoon1221, thanks a lot for your report!

As a temporary workaround, how can I clear the previously cached build state?

I didn't attempt to reproduce it yet, but meanwhile, a workaround should just be to remove the www folder generated by learn-ocaml build (generally in the current directory), and run learn-ocaml build anew.

Let us know if this sidesteps the issue.

BTW just out of curiosity: which distribution of the learn-ocaml program are you using? − I mean:

• a learn-ocaml binary taken from the release assets
• the learn-ocaml binary built from an opam install
• or another flavor? :)

[dm0n3y]

Thanks! That was helpful. Specifically I wanted to clear the build cache for the specific exercise I was developing, so that I wouldn't have to wait to build every other exercise in our corpus to get feedback. I was able to do that by removing the exercise-specific json file within the www directory.

We're using our own fork of learn-ocaml, the tiny difference from current master being a modification to the compile button so that it also syncs the edit state.

[erikmd]

OK, thanks for your feedback!

Regarding your other remark, BTW:

We're using our own fork of learn-ocaml, the tiny difference from current master being a modification to the compile button so that it also syncs the edit state.

I'd be curious to know if this change was especially useful
(1) for your workflow as a teacher (e.g. to better see the impact of the Compile feedback on students' answer),
or (2) because some students lost their code at some point… e.g. because of #316 (which fortunately, is now solved in v0.14.0)

(Anyway, if you think it's worth it to discuss further this point about Compile / Sync, feel free to open a separated issue for this one :)