file · Command reference

`qzx isDirectoryEmpty`

What it does

Checks stable directory emptiness with streaming counts, explicit hidden-item policy, and no symbolic-link traversal by default

Command maturity: Alpha

Available for real use and feedback while its interface and behavior can still evolve. This is the current development-checkout assessment. Every future immutable release tag preserves the exact assessment shipped by that version. Available in PyPI 0.2.2.0.15. This page documents the 0.2.2.0.15 alpha development checkout.

Behavior and built-in protections

Inspects without changing state

Direct execution for this operation

Works without invoking native programs

Works without network access

No elevation required by design

This safety classification was reviewed by Claude Opus 5.5 (Anthropic) against implementation digest sha256:3f82d9bda9b9ecf07a11e17dd04299aa6142a5d55017b990c8434e2fdd9cbc89 on 2026-10-08.

Exact syntax

qzx isDirectoryEmpty <directory_path> [include_hidden] [follow_symlinks] --json

Parameters

Swipe or use the horizontal scrollbar to see every column.

Name	Type	Required	Default	Description
directory_path	str	Yes	Not declared	Path to the real directory to inspect
include_hidden	bool	No	false	Count dot-prefixed and platform-hidden entries when deciding whether the directory is empty
follow_symlinks	bool	No	false	Follow reviewed symbolic-link or junction components to their resolved directory target

Input examples

qzx isDirectoryEmpty /path/to/directory

Check visible emptiness without following links

qzx isDirectoryEmpty /path/to/directory true

Include hidden entries in the emptiness decision

qzx isDirectoryEmpty reviewed-link true true

Inspect an explicitly reviewed linked directory target

For the complete structured payload, add --json: qzx isDirectoryEmpty <directory_path> [include_hidden] [follow_symlinks] --json

Representative output example

This illustrative JSON is derived from the current implementation-backed result contract. It shows what the command can return without claiming a recorded execution; values vary with inputs, host, permissions, and optional tools.

Example command: qzx isDirectoryEmpty /path/to/directory --json

{
    "success": true,
    "message": "Checks stable directory emptiness with streaming counts, explicit hidden-item policy, and no symbolic-link traversal by default. In this illustrative example, the command completed successfully.",
    "meta": {
        "command": "isDirectoryEmpty",
        "command_maturity": {
            "stage": "alpha",
            "label": "Alpha",
            "sequence": 2,
            "public_executable": true,
            "stability": "interface_may_change",
            "summary": "Available for real use and feedback while its interface and behavior can still evolve.",
            "promotion_review_required": false,
            "assessment_scope": "development_checkout"
        },
        "duration_ms": 0,
        "schema_version": 1
    },
    "analyzed_path": "C:\\project\\example.txt",
    "details": {
        "target": "Example value",
        "scan_complete": true,
        "symbolic_links_followed_inside_directory": true
    },
    "directory_count": 3,
    "directory_path": "C:\\project\\example.txt",
    "file_count": 3,
    "include_hidden": true,
    "is_empty": false,
    "item_count": 3,
    "symlink_count": 3
}

View the JSON result contract

{
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "required": [
        "success",
        "message",
        "meta"
    ],
    "properties": {
        "success": {
            "type": "boolean"
        },
        "message": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "meta": {
            "type": "object",
            "required": [
                "command",
                "command_maturity",
                "duration_ms",
                "schema_version"
            ],
            "properties": {
                "command": {
                    "type": "string"
                },
                "command_maturity": {
                    "type": "object",
                    "required": [
                        "stage",
                        "label",
                        "sequence",
                        "public_executable",
                        "stability",
                        "summary",
                        "promotion_review_required",
                        "assessment_scope"
                    ],
                    "properties": {
                        "stage": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "label": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "sequence": {
                            "type": "integer"
                        },
                        "public_executable": {
                            "type": "boolean"
                        },
                        "stability": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "summary": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "promotion_review_required": {
                            "type": "boolean"
                        },
                        "assessment_scope": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "note": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "review": {
                            "type": "object",
                            "required": [
                                "reviewed_on",
                                "rationale",
                                "evidence"
                            ],
                            "properties": {
                                "reviewed_on": {
                                    "type": "string",
                                    "format": "date"
                                },
                                "rationale": {
                                    "type": "string"
                                },
                                "evidence": {
                                    "type": "array",
                                    "minItems": 1,
                                    "items": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                },
                                "replacement": {
                                    "type": "string"
                                }
                            },
                            "additionalProperties": false
                        }
                    },
                    "additionalProperties": true
                },
                "duration_ms": {
                    "type": "number"
                },
                "schema_version": {
                    "type": "integer"
                }
            },
            "additionalProperties": true
        },
        "analyzed_path": [],
        "details": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
                "target": [],
                "scan_complete": {
                    "type": "boolean"
                },
                "symbolic_links_followed_inside_directory": {
                    "type": "boolean"
                }
            },
            "additionalProperties": true
        },
        "directory_count": [],
        "directory_path": [],
        "error": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "error_code": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "file_count": [],
        "include_hidden": [],
        "is_empty": [],
        "item_count": [],
        "symlink_count": []
    },
    "additionalProperties": true
}

Errors and limits

The public contract requires success=false and a descriptive message on failure. This catalog does not yet declare a command-specific error taxonomy; inspect the result and do not invent error codes.

QZX is alpha software. Optional dependencies, permissions, and host capabilities can change the result.

Evidence workflow: ready for deterministic automated capture.

Evidence and provenance

Implementation: src/qzx/commands/file/is_directory_empty.py
Tests: tests/test_file_commands/test_is_directory_empty.py
Documentation channel: Development documentation 0.2.2.0.15 · main · sha256:b91acee86268edb7cb018a94e089ff8e95835eda3f2cf08b39796c0ab9654693
Availability: 0.2.2.0.15 or earlier

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