Working with folders in Node.js

The Node.js fs core module provides many handy methods you can use to work with folders.

Check if a folder exists

Use fs.access() (and its promise-based fsPromises.access() counterpart) to check if the folder exists and Node.js can access it with its permissions.

Create a new folder

Use fs.mkdir() or fs.mkdirSync() or fsPromises.mkdir() to create a new folder.

const  = ('node:fs');

const  = '/Users/joe/test';

try {
  if (!.()) {
    .();
  }
} catch () {
  .();
}

Read the content of a directory

Use fs.readdir() or fs.readdirSync() or fsPromises.readdir() to read the contents of a directory.

This piece of code reads the content of a folder, both files and subfolders, and returns their relative path:

const  = ('node:fs');

const  = '/Users/joe';

.();

You can get the full path:

fs.readdirSync(folderPath).map( => {
  return path.join(folderPath, );
});

You can also filter the results to only return the files, and exclude the folders:

const  = ('node:fs');

const  =  => {
  return .().();
};

.(folderPath)
  .( => {
    return path.join(folderPath, );
  })
  .();

Rename a folder

Use fs.rename() or fs.renameSync() or fsPromises.rename() to rename folder. The first parameter is the current path, the second the new path:

const  = ('node:fs');

.('/Users/joe', '/Users/roger',  => {
  if () {
    .();
  }
  // done
});

fs.renameSync() is the synchronous version:

const  = ('node:fs');

try {
  .('/Users/joe', '/Users/roger');
} catch () {
  .();
}

fsPromises.rename() is the promise-based version:

const  = ('node:fs/promises');

async function () {
  try {
    await .('/Users/joe', '/Users/roger');
  } catch () {
    .();
  }
}
();

Remove a folder

Use fs.rmdir() or fs.rmdirSync() or fsPromises.rmdir() to remove a folder.

const  = ('node:fs');

.(dir,  => {
  if () {
    throw ;
  }

  .(`${dir} is deleted!`);
});

To remove a folder that has contents use fs.rm() with the option { recursive: true } to recursively remove the contents.

{ recursive: true, force: true } makes it so that exceptions will be ignored if the folder does not exist.

const  = ('node:fs');

.(dir, { : true, : true },  => {
  if () {
    throw ;
  }

  .(`${dir} is deleted!`);
});

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