What is output-file-sync?
The output-file-sync npm package is a utility for writing files synchronously, ensuring that the directory structure is created if it does not exist. This is particularly useful for tasks that require file output in build processes or scripts where you need to ensure the file system is in a specific state before proceeding.
What are output-file-sync's main functionalities?
Write File Synchronously
This feature allows you to write data to a file synchronously. If the directory structure does not exist, it will be created automatically.
const outputFileSync = require('output-file-sync');
outputFileSync('path/to/file.txt', 'Hello, World!');
Write JSON Data
This feature allows you to write JSON data to a file synchronously. The JSON data is stringified and formatted with indentation for readability.
const outputFileSync = require('output-file-sync');
const data = { key: 'value' };
outputFileSync('path/to/file.json', JSON.stringify(data, null, 2));
Append Data to File
While output-file-sync does not directly support appending data, you can use Node.js's built-in fs module in conjunction with output-file-sync to ensure the file exists before appending data.
const outputFileSync = require('output-file-sync');
const fs = require('fs');
const data = 'Appended data';
fs.appendFileSync('path/to/file.txt', data);
Other packages similar to output-file-sync
fs-extra
fs-extra is a popular package that extends the native Node.js fs module with additional methods, including methods for writing files synchronously and ensuring the directory structure exists. It provides more comprehensive file system utilities compared to output-file-sync.
write-file-atomic
write-file-atomic is a package that ensures files are written atomically, which means the file is guaranteed to be written completely or not at all. This is useful for preventing partial writes and ensuring data integrity. It also supports creating directories if they do not exist.
mkdirp
mkdirp is a package focused on creating directories recursively. While it does not handle file writing directly, it can be used in conjunction with the native fs module to ensure the directory structure exists before writing files.