Optimize Your File Management with JavaScript’s fs-extra Library

The fs-extra library is a popular extension of Node.js’s built-in fs module that adds several useful functionalities. It provides dozens of useful APIs for better file system management, simplifying the process and making it more efficient.

Introduction to fs-extra

The fs-extra module is a drop-in replacement for the native fs module in Node.js. It comes with a variety of new file system methods that make it easier to work with files and directories. Whether you are copying files, creating directories, moving files, or ensuring a path exists, fs-extra has got you covered.

Basic Installation

npm install fs-extra

API Examples

Copying a File

const fs = require('fs-extra');
fs.copy('source.txt', 'destination.txt')
  .then(() => console.log('File copied!'))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Copying a Directory

const fs = require('fs-extra');
fs.copy('/tmp/mydir', '/tmp/mynewdir')
  .then(() => console.log('Directory copied!'))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Creating a Directory

const fs = require('fs-extra');
fs.ensureDir('/tmp/mydir')
  .then(() => console.log('Directory created!'))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Removing a File

const fs = require('fs-extra');
fs.remove('/tmp/myfile')
  .then(() => console.log('File removed!'))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Writing a JSON File

const fs = require('fs-extra');
fs.writeJson('/tmp/myfile.json', { name: 'fs-extra' })
  .then(() => console.log('JSON file written!'))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Reading a JSON File

const fs = require('fs-extra');
fs.readJson('/tmp/myfile.json')
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Example Node.js Application

Let’s put together some of the fs-extra APIs in a simple Node.js application. Below is an example showing how to create a directory, write a JSON file, read the JSON file, and then delete the file and directory:

const fs = require('fs-extra');
const dir = '/tmp/mydir'; const file = `${dir}/myfile.json`;
async function fileOperations() {
  try {
    await fs.ensureDir(dir);
    console.log('Directory created');

    await fs.writeJson(file, { name: 'fs-extra' });
    console.log('JSON file written');

    const data = await fs.readJson(file);
    console.log('Read from JSON file:', data);

    await fs.remove(file);
    console.log('File removed');

    await fs.remove(dir);
    console.log('Directory removed');
  } catch (err) {
    console.error(err);
  }
}
fileOperations();

In this example, we used fs-extra to ensure a directory exists, write a JSON file to that directory, read from the JSON file, and finally, clean up by removing both the file and the directory. This demonstrates the power and simplicity of fs-extra in handling everyday file system tasks.

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