Matlab compiler generates malformed ctf archive if using a symlinked (junction) folder.

When running the Matlab compiler on a folder which is an NTFS junction rather than proper folder, mcc generates a malformed ctf (zip) archive with repeated entries, except that subfolders are missing in the first iteration. This is really a problem for class folders with private subfolders.

E.g. create the following directory structure:

entry_point.m
src
|--@myclass
   |--myclass.m
   |--private
      |--private_method.m

In entry_point.m:

function entry_point(input)
    c = myclass(input);
    c.invoke_private_method();
end   

In myclass.m:

classdef myclass
    properties
        input;
    end
    methods
        function obj = myclass(input)
            obj.input = input;
        end
        function invoke_private_method(obj)
            obj.private_method();
        end
    end
end

In private_method.m

function private_method(obj)
    disp('Success!');
    disp(['Input was: ' obj.input]);
end

If this is put in a normal folder and compiled using:

mcc -a src -m entry_point.m

Then everything works ok.

However, if src or the parent folder is an NTFS junction (symlink) in Windows (I've not tested this on Linux yet), then the zip in generated exe (or ctf for a Python module which was what I am actually using) is malformed. E.g. if we make a junction link:

mklink /J src_link src

and recompile with:

mcc -a src_link -m entry_point.m

then the zip archive looks like:

Archive:  entry_point.exe
warning [entry_point.exe]:  1118208 extra bytes at beginning or within zipfile
  (attempting to process anyway)
  Length      Date    Time    Name
---------  ---------- -----   ----
     1925  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/toolbox/compiler/system_dependent.m
     1131  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/toolbox/compiler/ctfroot.m
      891  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/toolbox/compiler/patch/toolbox/local/hgrc.m
     1291  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/toolbox/local/matlabrc.m
     1143  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/toolbox/local/printopt.m
       55  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/toolbox/local/Contents.m
       53  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/toolbox/compiler/Contents.m
       37  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/.matlab/VisibleSettings.json
     3139  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/.matlab/connector.mlsettings
        0  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/.matlab/creation.timestamp
      267  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/.matlab/doc_toolbar_documents.cwd_r7.xml
       86  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/.matlab/graphics.json
   119876  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/.matlab/matlab.mlsettings
      634  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/.matlab/matlab.prf
     3176  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/.matlab/matlabCompiler.mlsettings
        1  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/.matlab/migratePref.txt
     3139  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/.matlab/mldrivetripwireaccess.mlsettings
        6  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/.META/requiredMCRProducts.txt
      991  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/entry_point/src_link/@myclass/myclass.m
      951  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/entry_point/entry_point.m
      991  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/entry_point/src/@myclass/myclass.m
      952  2022-03-14 14:51   fsroot/entry_point/src/@myclass/private/private_method.m
    10247  2022-03-14 14:51   .META/manifest.xml
      337  2022-03-14 14:51   metadata/mwcoreProperties.xml
      260  2022-03-14 14:51   metadata/mwcorePropertiesExtension.xml
      310  2022-03-14 14:51   metadata/mwcorePropertiesReleaseInfo.xml
      445  2022-03-14 14:51   metadata/coreProperties.xml
     3946  2022-03-14 14:51   metadata/filesystemManifest.xml
     1630  2022-03-14 14:51   [Content_Types].xml
     1071  2022-03-14 14:51   _rels/.rels
---------                     -------
   158981                     30 files

Note that there are two @myclass folders - one at fsroot/entry_point/src_link and one at fsroot/entry_point/src - the first takes precedent but does not have the private subfolder, which means when the command is invoked using:

entry_point.exe hello

it gives the following error:

Unrecognized method, property, or field 'private_method' for class 'myclass'.

Error in myclass/invoke_private_method (line 10)

Error in entry_point (line 3)

MATLAB:noSuchMethodOrField