filemtimepath

filemtimepath is a term used in some programming environments to refer to a function or utility that returns the last modification time of a file identified by a filesystem path. The name emphasizes that the input is a path, not a file object, and it is often used in caching, build systems, and file monitoring.

Return type and error handling vary by language. A successful call typically yields a timestamp, often a Unix epoch integer or a native date-time object. If the path is invalid or inaccessible, implementations may return false or None, or raise an exception.

In practice, filemtimepath is comparable to standard library equivalents such as Python's os.path.getmtime, Node.js fs.stat, or PHP's filemtime. Some implementations provide a wrapper that normalizes paths and returns a consistent type across platforms.

Performance considerations include the cost of querying filesystem metadata, which may involve I/O and can be affected by caching or network delays. On some systems, modification times can be unreliable across mounted file systems.

Security and robustness concerns involve validating input paths, avoiding path traversal, and handling permissions correctly. Thorough error handling and input sanitization are recommended when integrating such functionality into tools or scripts.

See also: file modification time, filemtime, os.path.getmtime, Path.stat, filesystem metadata.