file · Command reference

`qzx isFileEmpty`

What it does

Checks zero-byte or whitespace-only file emptiness with streaming text decoding 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 0.2.2.0.8. This page documents the 0.2.2.0.8 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 OpenAI GPT-5.6 Pro against implementation digest sha256:6c018b4d32aac0fdc63fb53e8f96e0fadeb81858f69f95f5fc12e353f003d8e3 on 2026-08-25.

Exact syntax

qzx isFileEmpty <file_path> [consider_whitespace] [follow_symlinks] --json

Parameters

Swipe or use the horizontal scrollbar to see every column.

Name	Type	Required	Default	Description
file_path	str	Yes	Not declared	Path to the regular file to inspect
consider_whitespace	bool	No	false	Treat a fully decoded file containing only Unicode whitespace as empty
follow_symlinks	bool	No	false	Follow reviewed symbolic-link or junction components to their resolved regular-file target

Input examples

qzx isFileEmpty /path/to/file.txt

Check whether a regular file has zero bytes

qzx isFileEmpty /path/to/file.txt true

Also treat Unicode whitespace-only text as empty

qzx isFileEmpty reviewed-link true true

Inspect an explicitly reviewed linked file target

For the complete structured payload, add --json: qzx isFileEmpty <file_path> [consider_whitespace] [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 isFileEmpty /path/to/file.txt --json

{
    "success": true,
    "message": "Checks zero-byte or whitespace-only file emptiness with streaming text decoding and no symbolic-link traversal by default. In this illustrative example, the command completed successfully.",
    "meta": {
        "command": "isFileEmpty",
        "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"
    },
    "file_path": "C:\\project\\example.txt"
}

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": []
            },
            "additionalProperties": true
        },
        "error": [],
        "error_code": [],
        "file_path": []
    },
    "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_file_empty.py
Tests: tests/test_file_commands/test_is_file_empty.py
Documentation channel: Development documentation 0.2.2.0.8 · main · sha256:9aa902dfb6b006017e52972bf7871fef49b03ec24ff80741231d743d0354bfc2
Availability: 0.2.2.0.8 or earlier

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