Scripting - Why certain Linked Smart Objects with Broken Link don't return "link" property?

function s2t(str) { return stringIDToTypeID(str); }
function c2t(ch) { return charIDToTypeID(ch); }

function gather_smart_objects(){
    var doc_ref = new ActionReference();
    doc_ref.putIdentifier(s2t("document"), activeDocument.id);
    var doc_descriptor = executeActionGet(doc_ref);
    var layer_count = doc_descriptor.getInteger(s2t("numberOfLayers"));
    var nr_of_smart_linked = 0;
    var nr_of_smart_linked_with_missing_link = 0;
    for(var layer_index = 1; layer_index <= layer_count; ++layer_index){
        var layer_ref = new ActionReference();
        layer_ref.putProperty(s2t("property"), s2t("layerKind"));
        layer_ref.putIndex(s2t("layer"), layer_index);
        var layer_descriptor = executeActionGet(layer_ref);
        if(layer_descriptor.getInteger(s2t("layerKind")) == 5){
            var layer_id_ref = new ActionReference();
            layer_id_ref.putProperty(s2t("property"), s2t("layerID"));
            layer_id_ref.putIndex(s2t("layer"), layer_index);
            var layer_id_descriptor = executeActionGet(layer_id_ref);
            var layer_id = layer_id_descriptor.getInteger(s2t("layerID"));
            var action_ref = new ActionReference();
            action_ref.putIdentifier(c2t('Lyr '), layer_id);
            var action_descriptor = executeActionGet(action_ref);
            var smart_object = action_descriptor.getObjectValue(s2t("smartObject"));
            if (smart_object.hasKey(s2t("linked")) && smart_object.getBoolean(s2t("linked"))) {
                ++nr_of_smart_linked;
                if (smart_object.getBoolean(stringIDToTypeID('linkMissing')) == true) {
/*if (!smart_object.hasKey(s2t("link"))) {*/
                    ++nr_of_smart_linked_with_missing_link;
                }
            }
        }
    }
    alert(nr_of_smart_linked);
    alert(nr_of_smart_linked_with_missing_link);
}

gather_smart_objects();

Hi, 

I forgot to add, Thank You for Your time.

First, to answer Your question, Yes, I have used the "linkMissing" property.

Second, I was able to create the .psd that produces this behavior. The steps are rather simple, the important part is to make it on the different machine to the one that You are trying to test on.

The steps are:

1.  Create first .psd file
2.  Create second .psd file
3.  In the second .psd file, add first .psd using "File -> Place Linked..."
4.  Rename or delete Your first .psd file.

If on the second .psd You run the script below, You will see that there will be 3 alerts, first two will say that there is 1 object each (1 smart object, 1 smart object with 'linkMissing' property set to False). The third alert will say there is no smart object with 'linkMissing' property set to False and missing 'link' property.

Now, I've created the provided .psd in the exact same way. And, if You download my psd, and run the script on it, the last alert will also say there is 1 smart object with 'linkMissing' property set to False and missing 'link' property.

function s2t(str) { return stringIDToTypeID(str); }
function c2t(ch) { return charIDToTypeID(ch); }

function gather_smart_objects(){
    try {
        var doc_ref = new ActionReference();
        doc_ref.putIdentifier(s2t("document"), activeDocument.id);
        var doc_descriptor = executeActionGet(doc_ref);
        var layer_count = doc_descriptor.getInteger(s2t("numberOfLayers"));
        var linked_smart_objects = 0;
        var linked_smart_objects_link_missing = 0;
        var linked_smart_objects_link_missing_no_link_property = 0;
        for (var layer_index = 1; layer_index <= layer_count; ++layer_index) {
            var layer_ref = new ActionReference();
            layer_ref.putProperty(s2t("property"), s2t("layerKind"));
            layer_ref.putIndex(s2t("layer"), layer_index);
            var layer_descriptor = executeActionGet(layer_ref);
            if (layer_descriptor.getInteger(s2t("layerKind")) == 5) {
                var layer_id_ref = new ActionReference();
                layer_id_ref.putProperty(s2t("property"), s2t("layerID"));
                layer_id_ref.putIndex(s2t("layer"), layer_index);
                var layer_id_descriptor = executeActionGet(layer_id_ref);
                var layer_id = layer_id_descriptor.getInteger(s2t("layerID"));
                var action_ref = new ActionReference();
                action_ref.putIdentifier(c2t('Lyr '), layer_id);
                var action_descriptor = executeActionGet(action_ref);
                var smart_object = action_descriptor.getObjectValue(s2t("smartObject"));
                if (smart_object.hasKey(s2t("linked")) && smart_object.getBoolean(s2t("linked"))) {
                    ++linked_smart_objects;
                    if (smart_object.getBoolean(s2t("linkMissing"))) {
                        ++linked_smart_objects_link_missing;
                        if (!smart_object.hasKey(s2t("link"))) {
                            ++linked_smart_objects_link_missing_no_link_property;
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        alert("Linked smart objects: " + linked_smart_objects);
        alert("Linked smart objects with 'linkMissing' set to True: " + linked_smart_objects_link_missing);
        alert("Linked smart objects with 'linkMissing' set to True and no 'link' property: " + linked_smart_objects_link_missing_no_link_property);
    } catch (e) {
        alert("Something went wrong. Reason: " + e);
    }
}

gather_smart_objects();
alert("Done!");

I am running all this on Mac, Photoshop in question is

Adobe Photoshop Version: 25.9.1 20240610.r.626 e3aae35 x64

Please, bear in mind that I wasn't very careful with the active object insid the script, my Photoshop only had one .psd open at all times, when running the script.