Node.js Working with Folders

Node.js provides the fs module to work with files and directories, allowing you to create, remove, and manipulate folders. The module includes methods for both synchronous and asynchronous folder operations, enabling developers to handle directories in their applications efficiently.

 

Key Features of Working with Folders

1. Creating Directories: You can easily create new directories using both synchronous and asynchronous methods.
2. Reading Directories: The fs module allows you to list the contents of a directory.
3. Removing Directories: It provides methods to remove empty or non-empty directories.
4. Directory Information: You can obtain information about directories, such as whether they exist and their properties.

 

Creating Directories

1. fs.mkdir()

The fs.mkdir() method is used to create a new directory asynchronously.

const fs = require('fs');

fs.mkdir('new_directory', (err) => {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log('Directory created');
});

Output:

Directory created

• This creates a new directory named new_directory asynchronously.

2. fs.mkdirSync()

The fs.mkdirSync() method is the synchronous version of fs.mkdir(), blocking the execution until the directory is created.

const fs = require('fs');

fs.mkdirSync('new_directory');
console.log('Directory created');

Output:

Directory created

• The directory creation is synchronous, meaning the code will pause until the directory is created.

 

Reading Directories

1. fs.readdir()

The fs.readdir() method reads the contents of a directory asynchronously and returns the list of files and directories within it.

const fs = require('fs');

fs.readdir('.', (err, files) => {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log(files);
});

Output:

[ 'file1.txt', 'file2.txt', 'new_directory' ]

• This lists all files and directories inside the current directory.

2. fs.readdirSync()

The fs.readdirSync() method is the synchronous version of fs.readdir().

const fs = require('fs');

const files = fs.readdirSync('.');
console.log(files);

Output:

[ 'file1.txt', 'file2.txt', 'new_directory' ]

• The contents of the directory are returned synchronously, blocking the code execution until the list is returned.

 

Removing Directories

1. fs.rmdir()

The fs.rmdir() method removes an empty directory asynchronously.

const fs = require('fs');

fs.rmdir('new_directory', (err) => {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log('Directory removed');
});

Output:

Directory removed

• This removes the empty directory new_directory asynchronously.

2. fs.rmdirSync()

The fs.rmdirSync() method is the synchronous version of fs.rmdir().

const fs = require('fs');

fs.rmdirSync('new_directory');
console.log('Directory removed');

Output:

Directory removed

• The code is blocked until the directory is removed.

3. fs.rmdir() for Non-Empty Directories

To remove non-empty directories, you must first remove all contents inside the directory. You can use fs.readdir() to read the contents and delete them before removing the directory.

const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');

function deleteDir(dirPath) {
  fs.readdir(dirPath, (err, files) => {
    if (err) throw err;

    files.forEach((file) => {
      const filePath = path.join(dirPath, file);
      fs.unlink(filePath, (err) => {
        if (err) throw err;
      });
    });

    fs.rmdir(dirPath, (err) => {
      if (err) throw err;
      console.log('Directory and files removed');
    });
  });
}

deleteDir('new_directory');

Output:

Directory and files removed

• This approach deletes all files inside a directory before removing the directory itself.

 

Checking if a Directory Exists

1. fs.existsSync()

The fs.existsSync() method checks if a directory exists synchronously.

const fs = require('fs');

if (fs.existsSync('new_directory')) {
  console.log('Directory exists');
} else {
  console.log('Directory does not exist');
}

Output:

Directory exists

• It returns a boolean indicating whether the directory exists.

 

Summary

The fs module in Node.js provides a comprehensive set of methods for working with directories, such as creating, reading, and removing directories. Methods like fs.mkdir() and fs.rmdir() allow for folder creation and deletion, while fs.readdir() and fs.existsSync() help with reading and checking for directory contents. With these methods, developers can efficiently manage file system structures in their applications.