CloudFile returns different path to what is uploaded

[isaacabraham]

There's an issue on the CloudFile Azure implementation: -

let x = CloudFile.Upload("foo.txt", @"data\blah.txt")
x.Path = "data/Account.txt" // false
x.Path = "/mbraceuserdata/data/Account.txt" // true

Even worse, the following (correctly) returns false: -

CloudFile.Exists x.Path

There needs to be a decision made regarding the mbraceuserdata folder - what is it for and when is it used - always (undesirable) or as a default (acceptable). If the latter, then the generated CloudFileInfo should not always prepend the path with \mbraceuserData. If the former, then CloudFile.Upload should always upload to that container.

[isaacabraham]

@eiriktsarpalis what are your thoughts on this?

[isaacabraham]

Having dug around a bit more into this, I can see what the problem is.

cc: @mathias-brandewinder - TLDR: Always ensure that you start your paths (when uploading AND when getting CloudFileInfo) with /.

A combination of MBrace.Core and MBrace.Azure libraries do some "implicit" cleanup on paths when you upload files or get CloudFileInfos.

When you upload a file, if the path does not start with /, one is automatically added. Then, the first segment of the path is used as a container unless there is only one element in the path, in which case the "secret" $root container is used. I'm going to remove this latter logic - it's not well understood or known and kind of magic.

Then, when you create a CloudFileInfo, if you forget to put a leading / in the path, it inserts the /mbraceuserdata folder at the front. I have no idea what the reasoning behind this is (or the implications of removing it). If you put a / at the front, this doesn't happen at all.