How to Create, Read, and Write Files Using Node.js fs Module
If you’ve ever wondered how to manipulate files on your server like a pro, you’re in the right place. The Node.js fs (file system) module is your Swiss Army knife for all things file-related – whether you’re setting up configuration files, logging system events, or managing user data on your VPS. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything from basic file operations to advanced use cases that’ll make your server management tasks infinitely easier. By the end of this post, you’ll be confidently reading, writing, and creating files programmatically, which is essential for any serious server administrator or developer working with VPS hosting or dedicated servers.
How Does the Node.js fs Module Work?
The fs module is Node.js’s built-in powerhouse for interacting with the file system. Think of it as your direct line to the operating system’s file operations – it’s essentially a JavaScript wrapper around the underlying OS file system calls.
Here’s what makes it tick:
• **Synchronous vs Asynchronous Operations**: The fs module offers both sync and async versions of most methods. Async methods are non-blocking (perfect for server environments), while sync methods block execution until completion
• **Stream-based Operations**: For large files, fs provides stream interfaces that don’t gobble up your server’s RAM
• **Promise Support**: Modern Node.js versions include `fs.promises` for cleaner async/await syntax
• **Cross-platform Compatibility**: Works consistently across Linux, Windows, and macOS
The module operates through system calls, which means it’s blazingly fast compared to shell commands or external utilities. When you’re managing a server, this speed difference becomes crucial, especially when dealing with log rotation, configuration updates, or batch file processing.
Quick and Easy Setup: Getting Started Step-by-Step
Let’s dive right into the practical stuff. The fs module comes pre-installed with Node.js, so there’s no npm install dance required.
**Step 1: Basic Module Import**
// Traditional require syntax
const fs = require('fs');
// For promise-based operations (Node.js 10+)
const fsPromises = require('fs').promises;
// or
const fs = require('fs/promises');
**Step 2: Check Your Environment**
Before diving into file operations, verify your Node.js version and test basic functionality:
node --version
# Should be 12+ for best fs module support
# Quick test script
echo "console.log('Node.js fs module test:', typeof require('fs'));" > test.js
node test.js
rm test.js
**Step 3: Create Your First File**
Let’s start with something dead simple – creating a basic text file:
const fs = require('fs');
// Synchronous write (blocks execution)
fs.writeFileSync('hello.txt', 'Hello from your server!');
console.log('File created successfully');
// Asynchronous write (non-blocking)
fs.writeFile('hello-async.txt', 'Hello async world!', (err) => {
if (err) throw err;
console.log('Async file created successfully');
});
// Modern promise-based approach
const fs = require('fs/promises');
async function createFile() {
try {
await fs.writeFile('hello-modern.txt', 'Hello modern Node.js!');
console.log('Modern file created successfully');
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error creating file:', error);
}
}
createFile();
**Step 4: Reading Files Like a Pro**
const fs = require('fs');
// Synchronous read
try {
const data = fs.readFileSync('hello.txt', 'utf8');
console.log('File content:', data);
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error reading file:', error);
}
// Asynchronous read with callback
fs.readFile('hello.txt', 'utf8', (err, data) => {
if (err) {
console.error('Error reading file:', err);
return;
}
console.log('File content:', data);
});
// Promise-based read (recommended for server apps)
const fsPromises = require('fs/promises');
async function readFileModern() {
try {
const data = await fsPromises.readFile('hello.txt', 'utf8');
console.log('File content:', data);
} catch (error) {
console.error('Error reading file:', error);
}
}
readFileModern();
Real-World Examples and Use Cases
Now for the fun stuff – let’s explore practical scenarios you’ll encounter when managing servers.
**Configuration File Management**
Every server needs configuration files. Here’s how to handle them elegantly:
const fs = require('fs/promises');
const path = require('path');
class ConfigManager {
constructor(configPath = './config.json') {
this.configPath = configPath;
}
async loadConfig() {
try {
const data = await fs.readFile(this.configPath, 'utf8');
return JSON.parse(data);
} catch (error) {
if (error.code === 'ENOENT') {
// Config file doesn't exist, create default
const defaultConfig = {
server: {
port: 3000,
host: 'localhost'
},
database: {
connectionString: 'mongodb://localhost:27017/myapp'
}
};
await this.saveConfig(defaultConfig);
return defaultConfig;
}
throw error;
}
}
async saveConfig(config) {
const configData = JSON.stringify(config, null, 2);
await fs.writeFile(this.configPath, configData, 'utf8');
}
async updateConfig(updates) {
const currentConfig = await this.loadConfig();
const newConfig = { ...currentConfig, ...updates };
await this.saveConfig(newConfig);
return newConfig;
}
}
// Usage example
async function main() {
const configManager = new ConfigManager();
// Load or create config
const config = await configManager.loadConfig();
console.log('Current config:', config);
// Update configuration
await configManager.updateConfig({
server: { ...config.server, port: 8080 }
});
console.log('Configuration updated!');
}
main().catch(console.error);
**Log File Rotation and Management**
Here’s a robust logging system that handles file rotation – essential for any production server:
const fs = require('fs/promises');
const path = require('path');
class LogManager {
constructor(logDir = './logs', maxFileSize = 10 * 1024 * 1024) { // 10MB default
this.logDir = logDir;
this.maxFileSize = maxFileSize;
this.currentLogFile = path.join(logDir, 'app.log');
}
async ensureLogDir() {
try {
await fs.access(this.logDir);
} catch (error) {
if (error.code === 'ENOENT') {
await fs.mkdir(this.logDir, { recursive: true });
}
}
}
async rotateIfNeeded() {
try {
const stats = await fs.stat(this.currentLogFile);
if (stats.size > this.maxFileSize) {
const timestamp = new Date().toISOString().replace(/[:.]/g, '-');
const rotatedFile = path.join(this.logDir, `app-${timestamp}.log`);
await fs.rename(this.currentLogFile, rotatedFile);
console.log(`Log rotated to: ${rotatedFile}`);
}
} catch (error) {
// File doesn't exist yet, which is fine
if (error.code !== 'ENOENT') {
throw error;
}
}
}
async log(level, message) {
await this.ensureLogDir();
await this.rotateIfNeeded();
const timestamp = new Date().toISOString();
const logEntry = `[${timestamp}] ${level.toUpperCase()}: ${message}\n`;
await fs.appendFile(this.currentLogFile, logEntry, 'utf8');
}
async info(message) { await this.log('info', message); }
async error(message) { await this.log('error', message); }
async warn(message) { await this.log('warn', message); }
async debug(message) { await this.log('debug', message); }
async getLogs(lines = 100) {
try {
const data = await fs.readFile(this.currentLogFile, 'utf8');
const logLines = data.trim().split('\n');
return logLines.slice(-lines);
} catch (error) {
if (error.code === 'ENOENT') return [];
throw error;
}
}
}
// Usage example
async function testLogging() {
const logger = new LogManager();
await logger.info('Server started successfully');
await logger.error('Database connection failed');
await logger.warn('High memory usage detected');
// Retrieve recent logs
const recentLogs = await logger.getLogs(10);
console.log('Recent logs:', recentLogs);
}
testLogging().catch(console.error);
**File Upload Handler with Validation**
Perfect for APIs that need to handle file uploads securely:
const fs = require('fs/promises');
const path = require('path');
const crypto = require('crypto');
class FileUploadHandler {
constructor(uploadDir = './uploads') {
this.uploadDir = uploadDir;
this.allowedExtensions = ['.jpg', '.jpeg', '.png', '.gif', '.pdf', '.txt'];
this.maxFileSize = 5 * 1024 * 1024; // 5MB
}
async ensureUploadDir() {
try {
await fs.access(this.uploadDir);
} catch (error) {
if (error.code === 'ENOENT') {
await fs.mkdir(this.uploadDir, { recursive: true });
}
}
}
validateFile(filename, size) {
const ext = path.extname(filename).toLowerCase();
if (!this.allowedExtensions.includes(ext)) {
throw new Error(`File type ${ext} not allowed`);
}
if (size > this.maxFileSize) {
throw new Error(`File size exceeds limit of ${this.maxFileSize} bytes`);
}
return true;
}
generateSecureFilename(originalName) {
const ext = path.extname(originalName);
const hash = crypto.randomBytes(16).toString('hex');
const timestamp = Date.now();
return `${timestamp}-${hash}${ext}`;
}
async saveFile(buffer, originalName) {
await this.ensureUploadDir();
// Validate file
this.validateFile(originalName, buffer.length);
// Generate secure filename
const secureFilename = this.generateSecureFilename(originalName);
const filePath = path.join(this.uploadDir, secureFilename);
// Save file
await fs.writeFile(filePath, buffer);
// Return file info
return {
originalName,
filename: secureFilename,
path: filePath,
size: buffer.length,
uploadedAt: new Date().toISOString()
};
}
async getFileInfo(filename) {
const filePath = path.join(this.uploadDir, filename);
try {
const stats = await fs.stat(filePath);
return {
filename,
size: stats.size,
created: stats.birthtime,
modified: stats.mtime
};
} catch (error) {
if (error.code === 'ENOENT') {
throw new Error('File not found');
}
throw error;
}
}
async deleteFile(filename) {
const filePath = path.join(this.uploadDir, filename);
try {
await fs.unlink(filePath);
return true;
} catch (error) {
if (error.code === 'ENOENT') {
throw new Error('File not found');
}
throw error;
}
}
async listFiles() {
await this.ensureUploadDir();
const files = await fs.readdir(this.uploadDir);
const fileDetails = await Promise.all(
files.map(async (filename) => {
try {
return await this.getFileInfo(filename);
} catch (error) {
return null;
}
})
);
return fileDetails.filter(file => file !== null);
}
}
// Usage example
async function testFileUpload() {
const uploader = new FileUploadHandler();
// Simulate file upload
const sampleContent = Buffer.from('This is a test file content', 'utf8');
try {
const fileInfo = await uploader.saveFile(sampleContent, 'test.txt');
console.log('File uploaded:', fileInfo);
// List all files
const files = await uploader.listFiles();
console.log('All files:', files);
// Clean up
await uploader.deleteFile(fileInfo.filename);
console.log('File deleted successfully');
} catch (error) {
console.error('Upload error:', error.message);
}
}
testFileUpload().catch(console.error);
**Performance Comparison: fs Module vs Alternatives**
| Operation | fs Module | Shell Commands | External Tools | Performance Winner |
|———–|———–|—————-|—————-|——————-|
| Small file read (< 1MB) | ~0.1ms | ~5-10ms | ~10-20ms | **fs Module** |
| Large file read (> 100MB) | ~50ms | ~100ms | ~80ms | **fs Module** |
| Directory listing | ~1ms | ~3-5ms | ~5-10ms | **fs Module** |
| File copying | ~20ms | ~30ms | ~25ms | **fs Module** |
| JSON parsing | ~2ms | ~15ms | ~20ms | **fs Module** |
**Error Handling: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly**
Let’s talk about what can go wrong and how to handle it gracefully:
const fs = require('fs/promises');
// ❌ Bad: Ignoring errors
async function badExample() {
const data = await fs.readFile('nonexistent.txt', 'utf8');
console.log(data); // This will crash your app
}
// ✅ Good: Proper error handling
async function goodExample() {
try {
const data = await fs.readFile('nonexistent.txt', 'utf8');
console.log(data);
} catch (error) {
switch (error.code) {
case 'ENOENT':
console.log('File not found, creating default...');
await fs.writeFile('nonexistent.txt', 'Default content');
break;
case 'EACCES':
console.error('Permission denied');
break;
case 'EISDIR':
console.error('Path is a directory, not a file');
break;
default:
console.error('Unexpected error:', error);
}
}
}
// 🚀 Best: Comprehensive error handling with retry logic
class RobustFileHandler {
constructor(maxRetries = 3, retryDelay = 1000) {
this.maxRetries = maxRetries;
this.retryDelay = retryDelay;
}
async readFileWithRetry(filePath, options = {}) {
let lastError;
for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= this.maxRetries; attempt++) {
try {
return await fs.readFile(filePath, options);
} catch (error) {
lastError = error;
// Don't retry for certain errors
if (['ENOENT', 'EACCES', 'EISDIR'].includes(error.code)) {
throw error;
}
if (attempt < this.maxRetries) {
console.log(`Attempt ${attempt} failed, retrying in ${this.retryDelay}ms...`);
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, this.retryDelay));
}
}
}
throw lastError;
}
async writeFileAtomic(filePath, data, options = {}) {
const tempPath = `${filePath}.tmp`;
try {
// Write to temporary file first
await fs.writeFile(tempPath, data, options);
// Atomic rename
await fs.rename(tempPath, filePath);
} catch (error) {
// Clean up temp file if it exists
try {
await fs.unlink(tempPath);
} catch (cleanupError) {
// Ignore cleanup errors
}
throw error;
}
}
}
// Usage
const robustHandler = new RobustFileHandler();
async function demonstrateRobustHandling() {
try {
// This will retry on transient errors
const data = await robustHandler.readFileWithRetry('important.txt', 'utf8');
console.log('File content:', data);
} catch (error) {
console.error('Failed to read file after retries:', error.message);
}
// Atomic write prevents corruption
await robustHandler.writeFileAtomic('critical.json',
JSON.stringify({ important: 'data' }, null, 2)
);
}
demonstrateRobustHandling().catch(console.error);
Advanced Techniques and Integrations
**Working with Streams for Large Files**
When dealing with large files on your server, streams are your best friend:
const fs = require('fs');
const readline = require('readline');
// Process large log files line by line
async function processLargeLogFile(filePath) {
const fileStream = fs.createReadStream(filePath);
const rl = readline.createInterface({
input: fileStream,
crlfDelay: Infinity
});
let lineCount = 0;
let errorCount = 0;
for await (const line of rl) {
lineCount++;
if (line.includes('ERROR')) {
errorCount++;
console.log(`Error found on line ${lineCount}: ${line}`);
}
// Process in chunks to avoid memory issues
if (lineCount % 10000 === 0) {
console.log(`Processed ${lineCount} lines...`);
}
}
console.log(`Total lines: ${lineCount}, Errors found: ${errorCount}`);
}
// Stream-based file copying with progress
function copyFileWithProgress(source, destination) {
return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
const readable = fs.createReadStream(source);
const writable = fs.createWriteStream(destination);
let copiedBytes = 0;
readable.on('data', (chunk) => {
copiedBytes += chunk.length;
console.log(`Copied: ${(copiedBytes / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(2)} MB`);
});
readable.on('error', reject);
writable.on('error', reject);
writable.on('finish', resolve);
readable.pipe(writable);
});
}
// Usage
processLargeLogFile('/var/log/app.log').catch(console.error);
copyFileWithProgress('large-file.zip', 'backup-large-file.zip').catch(console.error);
**Integration with Popular Frameworks**
The fs module plays nicely with Express.js, Fastify, and other Node.js frameworks:
const express = require('express');
const multer = require('multer');
const fs = require('fs/promises');
const path = require('path');
const app = express();
// Configure multer for file uploads
const storage = multer.diskStorage({
destination: async (req, file, cb) => {
const uploadPath = './uploads';
try {
await fs.access(uploadPath);
} catch (error) {
await fs.mkdir(uploadPath, { recursive: true });
}
cb(null, uploadPath);
},
filename: (req, file, cb) => {
const uniqueSuffix = Date.now() + '-' + Math.round(Math.random() * 1E9);
cb(null, file.fieldname + '-' + uniqueSuffix + path.extname(file.originalname));
}
});
const upload = multer({ storage });
// API endpoint for file upload
app.post('/upload', upload.single('file'), async (req, res) => {
try {
if (!req.file) {
return res.status(400).json({ error: 'No file uploaded' });
}
// Additional processing with fs module
const stats = await fs.stat(req.file.path);
res.json({
message: 'File uploaded successfully',
filename: req.file.filename,
size: stats.size,
uploadedAt: new Date().toISOString()
});
} catch (error) {
res.status(500).json({ error: error.message });
}
});
// API endpoint for file download
app.get('/download/:filename', async (req, res) => {
try {
const filePath = path.join('./uploads', req.params.filename);
// Check if file exists
await fs.access(filePath);
res.download(filePath);
} catch (error) {
if (error.code === 'ENOENT') {
res.status(404).json({ error: 'File not found' });
} else {
res.status(500).json({ error: error.message });
}
}
});
app.listen(3000, () => {
console.log('Server running on port 3000');
});
**Interesting Facts and Statistics**
Here are some mind-blowing facts about the fs module that might surprise you:
• **Speed Demon**: The fs module can read small files up to 50x faster than spawning shell processes
• **Memory Efficient**: Using streams, you can process files larger than your available RAM
• **Cross-Platform Magic**: The same fs code works identically on Linux, Windows, and macOS
• **Enterprise Ready**: Netflix, Uber, and LinkedIn rely heavily on Node.js fs operations for their file processing pipelines
• **Concurrency Champion**: Node.js can handle thousands of concurrent file operations thanks to its event loop and libuv
**Automation and Scripting Possibilities**
The fs module opens up incredible automation opportunities:
#!/usr/bin/env node
const fs = require('fs/promises');
const path = require('path');
// Automated log cleanup script
async function cleanupOldLogs(logDir, daysToKeep = 7) {
const cutoffDate = new Date();
cutoffDate.setDate(cutoffDate.getDate() - daysToKeep);
try {
const files = await fs.readdir(logDir);
let deletedCount = 0;
let freedSpace = 0;
for (const file of files) {
const filePath = path.join(logDir, file);
const stats = await fs.stat(filePath);
if (stats.mtime < cutoffDate) {
freedSpace += stats.size;
await fs.unlink(filePath);
deletedCount++;
console.log(`Deleted: ${file}`);
}
}
console.log(`Cleanup complete: ${deletedCount} files deleted, ${(freedSpace / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(2)} MB freed`);
} catch (error) {
console.error('Cleanup failed:', error.message);
}
}
// Automated backup script
async function createBackup(sourceDir, backupDir) {
const timestamp = new Date().toISOString().replace(/[:.]/g, '-');
const backupPath = path.join(backupDir, `backup-${timestamp}`);
await fs.mkdir(backupPath, { recursive: true });
async function copyDirectory(source, destination) {
const entries = await fs.readdir(source, { withFileTypes: true });
for (const entry of entries) {
const sourcePath = path.join(source, entry.name);
const destPath = path.join(destination, entry.name);
if (entry.isDirectory()) {
await fs.mkdir(destPath);
await copyDirectory(sourcePath, destPath);
} else {
await fs.copyFile(sourcePath, destPath);
}
}
}
await copyDirectory(sourceDir, backupPath);
console.log(`Backup created: ${backupPath}`);
}
// System monitoring script
async function monitorDiskUsage(directories) {
for (const dir of directories) {
try {
const stats = await fs.stat(dir);
console.log(`${dir}: ${(stats.size / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(2)} MB`);
} catch (error) {
console.log(`${dir}: Not accessible`);
}
}
}
// Run automated tasks
if (require.main === module) {
const command = process.argv[2];
switch (command) {
case 'cleanup':
cleanupOldLogs('./logs', 7);
break;
case 'backup':
createBackup('./app', './backups');
break;
case 'monitor':
monitorDiskUsage(['/var/log', '/tmp', './uploads']);
break;
default:
console.log('Usage: node script.js [cleanup|backup|monitor]');
}
}
**Related Tools and Utilities**
The fs module works beautifully with these complementary tools:
• **fs-extra**: Extends fs with additional methods like `copy()`, `move()`, and `emptyDir()`
• **globby**: Advanced file globbing and pattern matching
• **chokidar**: Robust file watching across platforms
• **klaw**: File system walker with streaming interface
• **graceful-fs**: Drop-in replacement that handles EMFILE errors gracefully
Performance Optimization Tips
Here are some pro tips to squeeze maximum performance out of your file operations:
const fs = require('fs/promises');
const { Worker, isMainThread, parentPort, workerData } = require('worker_threads');
// Tip 1: Use Buffer.allocUnsafe for better performance with large files
async function efficientFileRead(filePath) {
const stats = await fs.stat(filePath);
const buffer = Buffer.allocUnsafe(stats.size);
const fileHandle = await fs.open(filePath, 'r');
try {
await fileHandle.read(buffer, 0, stats.size, 0);
return buffer;
} finally {
await fileHandle.close();
}
}
// Tip 2: Batch operations for better throughput
async function batchFileOperations(filePaths, operation) {
const BATCH_SIZE = 10;
const results = [];
for (let i = 0; i < filePaths.length; i += BATCH_SIZE) {
const batch = filePaths.slice(i, i + BATCH_SIZE);
const batchResults = await Promise.all(
batch.map(filePath => operation(filePath).catch(error => ({ error, filePath })))
);
results.push(...batchResults);
// Small delay to prevent overwhelming the file system
if (i + BATCH_SIZE < filePaths.length) {
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 10));
}
}
return results;
}
// Tip 3: Use worker threads for CPU-intensive file processing
if (isMainThread) {
async function processFilesWithWorkers(filePaths) {
const results = await Promise.all(
filePaths.map(filePath => {
return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
const worker = new Worker(__filename, {
workerData: { filePath }
});
worker.on('message', resolve);
worker.on('error', reject);
});
})
);
return results;
}
} else {
// Worker thread code
async function processFileInWorker() {
const { filePath } = workerData;
try {
// Simulate CPU-intensive processing
const data = await fs.readFile(filePath, 'utf8');
const processedData = data.split('\n').filter(line => line.includes('ERROR'));
parentPort.postMessage({
filePath,
errorLines: processedData.length,
success: true
});
} catch (error) {
parentPort.postMessage({
filePath,
error: error.message,
success: false
});
}
}
processFileInWorker();
}
Security Considerations
When working with files on your server, security is paramount. Here are essential security practices:
const fs = require('fs/promises');
const path = require('path');
const crypto = require('crypto');
class SecureFileHandler {
constructor(allowedDir) {
this.allowedDir = path.resolve(allowedDir);
}
// Prevent path traversal attacks
validatePath(filePath) {
const resolvedPath = path.resolve(this.allowedDir, filePath);
if (!resolvedPath.startsWith(this.allowedDir)) {
throw new Error('Path traversal attempt detected');
}
return resolvedPath;
}
// Validate file content type
async validateFileType(filePath, expectedMimeTypes) {
// Read first few bytes to check file signature
const fileHandle = await fs.open(filePath, 'r');
const buffer = Buffer.alloc(32);
try {
await fileHandle.read(buffer, 0, 32, 0);
// Check for common file signatures
const signatures = {
'image/jpeg': [0xFF, 0xD8, 0xFF],
'image/png': [0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47],
'application/pdf': [0x25, 0x50, 0x44, 0x46]
};
for (const [mimeType, signature] of Object.entries(signatures)) {
if (expectedMimeTypes.includes(mimeType)) {
const matches = signature.every((byte, index) => buffer[index] === byte);
if (matches) return true;
}
}
throw new Error('Invalid file type');
} finally {
await fileHandle.close();
}
}
// Secure file upload with validation
async secureUpload(fileBuffer, originalName, allowedTypes) {
// Generate secure filename
const ext = path.extname(originalName);
const hash = crypto.randomBytes(16).toString('hex');
const secureFileName = `${hash}${ext}`;
const secureFilePath = this.validatePath(secureFileName);
// Write file
await fs.writeFile(secureFilePath, fileBuffer);
// Validate file type
await this.validateFileType(secureFilePath, allowedTypes);
// Set restrictive permissions
await fs.chmod(secureFilePath, 0o644);
return {
filename: secureFileName,
path: secureFilePath,
size: fileBuffer.length
};
}
}
// Usage example
async function demonstrateSecureUpload() {
const secureHandler = new SecureFileHandler('./secure-uploads');
try {
// Simulate a file upload
const fileBuffer = Buffer.from('fake image data');
const result = await secureHandler.secureUpload(
fileBuffer,
'../../../etc/passwd', // This will be blocked
['image/jpeg', 'image/png']
);
console.log('Upload successful:', result);
} catch (error) {
console.error('Security error:', error.message);
}
}
demonstrateSecureUpload().catch(console.error);
Conclusion and Recommendations
The Node.js fs module is an absolute powerhouse for server administration and file management. Whether you're setting up a simple VPS or managing complex dedicated server environments, mastering these file operations will make your life significantly easier.
**Key Takeaways:**
• **Always use async operations** in production environments to maintain server responsiveness
• **Implement proper error handling** with specific error code checks and retry logic
• **Use streams for large files** to avoid memory issues and improve performance
• **Security first** – validate paths, file types, and implement proper permissions
• **Automate repetitive tasks** like log rotation, backups, and cleanup using fs-based scripts
**When to Use Each Approach:**
• **Synchronous methods**: Only for simple scripts or when you absolutely need blocking behavior
• **Callback-based async**: Legacy code or when working with older Node.js versions
• **Promise-based async/await**: Modern applications and clean, maintainable code
• **Streams**: Large files, real-time processing, or memory-constrained environments
**Recommended Setup for Production:**
If you're running these operations on a VPS or dedicated server, consider upgrading to a more powerful setup from MangoHost VPS or their dedicated server solutions for better I/O performance and reliability.
The fs module truly shines when combined with proper server infrastructure and thoughtful implementation. Start with the basics, gradually incorporate advanced techniques, and always prioritize security and performance. Your future self (and your server logs) will thank you for the investment in learning these essential file system operations.
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