gistfile1.js

var startServ = function (restart) {
  passArgs = restart ? args.concat('-Q', 'true') : args;
  child  = spawn('node', args);

  //..........
  
  sys.puts(sys.inspect(child.pid)) // ** reports pid properly
};


var restartServ = function (oldStat, newStat) {
  // atime changes when the app loads
  if (oldStat.mtime != newStat.mtime) {

    sys.puts(sys.inspect(child.pid)) // ** NULL - should be pid

    process.kill(child.pid);  // throws Error (below)
    startServ(true);
  }
};


/*
Error: Bad argument.
    at StatWatcher.<anonymous> (/Users/kieran/.node_libraries/geddy-core/scripts/startserv.js:56:13)
    at node.js:187:9
*/



// sys.inspect(child) reports pid as [Getter] - is this a nodejs function?:
/*

{ _internal: { onexit: [Function], pid: null }  // <---------------
, stdin: 
   { fd: null
   , secure: false
   , _readWatcher: null
   , readable: false
   , _writeQueue: []
   , _writeQueueEncoding: []
   , _writeWatcher: null
   , writable: false
   }
, stdout: 
   { fd: null
   , secure: false
   , onend: [Function]
   , _readWatcher: null
   , readable: false
   , _writeQueue: []
   , _writeQueueEncoding: []
   , _writeWatcher: null
   , writable: false
   , _events: { data: [Function] }
   }
, stderr: 
   { fd: null
   , secure: false
   , onend: [Function]
   , _readWatcher: null
   , readable: false
   , _writeQueue: []
   , _writeQueueEncoding: []
   , _writeWatcher: null
   , writable: false
   , _events: { data: [Function] }
   }
, pid: [Getter]                           // <---------------
, _events: { exit: [Function] }
}

*/