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docs: update readme

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CJ van den Berg 2026-03-13 10:23:23 +01:00
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@ -43,34 +43,33 @@ It simply keeps watch.
### Platform backends ### Platform backends
| Platform | Backend | Notes | | Platform | Backend | Notes |
| ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------- |
| Linux | inotify | Threaded mode (default) or poll mode (`-Dlinux_read_thread=false`) | | Linux | inotify | Threaded (default) or polling mode |
| macOS | kqueue (default) or FSEvents (`-Dmacos_fsevents=true`) | FSEvents requires Xcode frameworks | | macOS | kqueue (default) or FSEvents (`-Dmacos_fsevents=true`) | FSEvents requires Xcode frameworks |
| macOS (opt-in) | kqueue dir-only (`-Dkqueue_dir_only=true`) | Low fd usage; see note below | | macOS | kqueue dir-only (`.kqueuedir` variant) | Low fd usage; see note below |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonFly BSD | kqueue | | | FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonFly BSD | kqueue (default) | |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonFly BSD (opt-in) | kqueue dir-only (`-Dkqueue_dir_only=true`) | Low fd usage; see note below | | FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonFly BSD | kqueue dir-only (`.kqueuedir` variant) | Low fd usage; see note below |
| Windows | ReadDirectoryChangesW | | | Windows | ReadDirectoryChangesW | |
#### `kqueue_dir_only` mode #### `kqueuedir` variant
By default the kqueue backend opens one file descriptor per watched _file_ By default the kqueue backend opens one file descriptor per watched _file_
in order to detect `modified` events in real time via `EVFILT_VNODE`. At in order to detect `modified` events in real time via `EVFILT_VNODE`. At
scale (e.g. 500k files) this exhausts the process fd limit. scale (e.g. 500k files) this exhausts the process fd limit.
Build with `-Dkqueue_dir_only=true` to use directory-only kqueue watches Use `nightwatch.Create(.kqueuedir)` to select directory-only kqueue watches
instead. This drops fd usage from O(files) to O(directories) and removes instead. This drops fd usage from O(files) to O(directories). The trade-off:
the `setrlimit` call. The trade-off:
- **`modified` events are not generated reliably.** The backend detects - **`modified` events are not generated reliably.** The backend detects
file modifications opportunistically by comparing mtimes during a file modifications opportunistically by comparing mtimes during a
directory scan, which only runs when a directory entry changes (file directory scan, which only runs when a directory entry changes (file
created, deleted, or renamed). A pure content write to an existing file created, deleted, or renamed). A pure content write to an existing file
- with no sibling changes - will not trigger a scan and the with no sibling changes will not trigger a scan and the modification will
modification will be missed until the next scan. be missed until the next scan.
- **Workaround:** Watch individual files directly (e.g. - **Workaround:** Watch individual files directly (e.g.
`watcher.watch("/path/to/file.txt")`). When a path passed to `watch()` is `watcher.watch("/path/to/file.txt")`). When a path passed to `watch()` is
a regular file, `kqueue_dir_only` mode attaches a per-file kqueue watch a regular file, the `kqueuedir` variant attaches a per-file kqueue watch
and emits real-time `modified` events exactly like the default backend. and emits real-time `modified` events exactly like the default backend.
Only _directory tree_ watches are affected by the limitation above. Only _directory tree_ watches are affected by the limitation above.
@ -131,7 +130,7 @@ You now have programmatic access to the tracking engine.
# CLI Usage # CLI Usage
```bash ```bash
nightwatch [{path}..] nightwatch [--ignore <path>]... <path> [<path> ...]
``` ```
Run: Run: