How Can I Get a List of File Names from a Directory Using Node.js?

Getting a List of File Names in a Directory Using Node.js

In Node.js, obtaining an array of file names present in a directory is a common necessity. To achieve this, Node.js provides two methods: fs.readdir and fs.readdirSync.

fs.readdir

This is an asynchronous method that takes a directory path and a callback function as arguments. The callback function is invoked with an error object and an array of file names when the read process is complete:

const fs = require('fs');

fs.readdir('test_directory', (err, files) => {
  if (err) {
    // Error handling
  } else {
    files.forEach(file => {
      console.log(file);
    });
  }
});

fs.readdirSync

The synchronous counterpart of fs.readdir, fs.readdirSync, immediately returns an array of file names. However, it can potentially block the event loop, so it's generally not recommended for use:

const fs = require('fs');

const files = fs.readdirSync('test_directory');
files.forEach(file => {
  console.log(file);
});

It's important to understand the consequences of using fs.readdirSync. While it returns the desired array of file names, it can interfere with the performance of your application by pausing all other computations until the read operation is complete.

In contrast, fs.readdir is asynchronous and non-blocking. It allows other parts of your code to execute while the read operation is in progress. However, it does require you to handle the potential error that may arise during the operation.

The above is the detailed content of How Can I Get a List of File Names from a Directory Using Node.js?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!