Node.js File System (fs) Module

Node.js provides a built-in module called "fs" - short for File System, which allows you to manipulate files and directories. The fs module contains methods for manipulating both files and directories, reading and writing to files, and other file system operations. In this tutorial, we'll discuss how to use the fs module in Node.js.

Syntax

To use the fs module in a Node.js application, first, you need to include it by requiring it:

const fs = require('fs');

Then, you can use the various methods provided by the fs module to perform file and directory operations.

Example

Let's create a simple Node.js program that creates a new file named "example.txt" and writes some text to it:

const fs = require('fs');

fs.writeFile('example.txt', 'Hello, World!', (err) => {
   if (err) throw err;
   console.log('File created and text written successfully!');
});

In the above example, we first require the "fs" module. Then, we use the "writeFile" method of the fs module to write the text "Hello, World!" to file named "example.txt". If there is an error, we throw the error. If there is no error, we print a message to the console to indicate that the file was created and text was written successfully.

Output

When we run the above example code, we will see the following output in the console:

File created and text written successfully!

Explanation

In the "fs" module example above, we required the fs module and used its "writeFile" method to write some text to file named "example.txt". The "writeFile" method takes three arguments: the file name, the text to write, and a callback function to execute after the write operation is completed. The callback function checks for any error and logs appropriate messages to the console.

Use

The fs module can be used to read and write files, create and delete directories, rename files, and perform other file system operations. You can use it to perform various tasks associated with file manipulation in Node.js applications.

Important Points

• The fs module is a built-in module of Node.js, so you don't have to install it separately.
• The methods provided by the fs module execute asynchronously, so they do not block the code execution.
• Always check for any error that might occur while performing file system operations.
• Always use async/await or callbacks to ensure proper handling of file system operations.

Summary

In this tutorial, we discussed how to use the fs module in Node.js to perform file system operations. We covered the syntax, example, output, explanation, use, important points, and summary of the fs module in Node.js. With this knowledge, you can now manipulate files and directories in your Node.js applications using the fs module.