Introduction to edit-json-file

The edit-json-file module is a powerful Node.js library that simplifies the process of editing and updating JSON files. This tool provides an array of APIs that enable you to read, write, and manipulate JSON data with ease. Whether you are building a configuration system, a data-driven application, or simply working with JSON files, edit-json-file is a must-have tool in your development toolkit.

Getting Started

First, you need to install the module:

 npm install edit-json-file 

Next, create a new file and require the edit-json-file module:

 const editJsonFile = require("edit-json-file"); 

Creating and Saving a JSON File

You can create a new JSON file or load an existing one:

 let file = editJsonFile(`${__dirname}/data.json`, {
  autosave: true
}); 

Setting autosave to true ensures the file is saved automatically after each modification.

Setting Values

Setting values in your JSON file is straightforward:

 file.set("name", "John Doe"); file.set("age", 30); file.set("address.city", "New York"); 

Getting Values

You can also retrieve values easily:

 let name = file.get("name"); let age = file.get("age"); let city = file.get("address.city"); console.log(name, age, city); 

Deleting Values

If you need to delete a value, you can do so with:

 file.unset("age"); 

Appending Values

Appending values to arrays is also supported:

 file.append("hobbies", "programming"); file.append("hobbies", "reading"); 

Incrementing Values

Increment numbers directly:

 file.set("counter", 1); file.inc("counter"); console.log(file.get("counter")); // Output: 2 

API Usage Example: A Simple App

Let’s build a simple app that manages a user’s profile information as a JSON file:

 const editJsonFile = require("edit-json-file");
// Initial setup let userProfile = editJsonFile(`${__dirname}/userProfile.json`, {
  autosave: true
});
// Modify profile information userProfile.set("user.name", "Jane Doe"); userProfile.set("user.age", 25); userProfile.set("user.email", "janedoe@example.com");
// Add hobbies userProfile.append("user.hobbies", "travelling"); userProfile.append("user.hobbies", "photography");
// Increment login count userProfile.set("user.loginCount", 1); userProfile.inc("user.loginCount");
console.log("User Profile Updated: ", userProfile.toObject()); 

In this example, an initial user profile is set and then updated by adding hobbies and incrementing the login count. With autosave: true, all changes are automatically saved to the userProfile.json file.