readdir

A Node.js utility module to read the contents of a directory with support for Ant style filtering to easily order the results - particularly useful for any order specific build system.

Node.js

Install using npm npm install readdir then use with require for either synchronous use:

import { readSync, ABSOLUTE_PATHS, CASELESS_SORT } from 'readdir';
 
const allTextFilesFilter = ['*.js'];
const options = ABSOLUTE_PATHS + CASELESS_SORT;
const contents = readSync('some_path', allTextFilesFilter, options);
 
contents.forEach(path => console.log(`Matched path: "${path}"`));

or asynchronous use in either promise chains, async/await or with a trailing callback:

import { read, ABSOLUTE_PATHS, CASELESS_SORT } from 'readdir';
 
const allTextFilesFilter = ['*.js'];
const options = ABSOLUTE_PATHS + CASELESS_SORT;
const logMatched = (contents) => contents.forEach(path => console.log(`Matched path: "${path}"`));
 
// as a step in a promise chain
read('some_path', allTextFilesFilter, options).then(logMatched);
 
// as an async/await
logMatched(await read('some-path', allTextFilesFilter));
 
// as a callback
read('some_path', allTextFilesFilter, options, (err, contents) => {
  logMatched(contents);
})

Usage

The readSync( path, [filters, [options]]) method can accept a path that is either absolute or relative to the current working directory.

Filters can be supplied as an array of strings that are Ant style expressions that any file found in the path directory must satisfy, use a * to signify any file in the current directory or ** to signify any file in the current or any sub directory. If the filter contains a / then the file path must also include a path, so */* would mean any file of a directory that is a direct sub-directory of the path directory and */** would be any file that is in any subdirectory of the path directory.

To select just one type of file, add a file extension suffix to the filter (eg: **.js to pick any JavaScript file in the path directory).

If the options argument is supplied, it should be a number representing the sum of any options you want to apply:

ABSOLUTE_PATHS changes the return value so that each item in the array is an absolute path instead of relative to the path directory.

CASELESS_SORT sort the return array as a case-insensitive sort

CASE_SORT sort the return array as a case-sensitive sort

INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES include the names of directories in the results returned, including just directories can be done by using the filter ['*/'], note that directory names will have a trailing slash to identify them from files that have no extension

INCLUDE_HIDDEN includes the content of directories named with a leading . (which is commonly used as a way to hide the directory). Note that files named with a leading . are included when they match a file filter and are not impacted by this option: for example .gitignore would be listed files in .git/* would not unless INCLUDE_HIDDEN is set.

NON_RECURSIVE prevents the automatic recursion to only scan the current directory.

Options can also be supplied as an array of the options bits themselves:

 
import { readSync, ReadDirOptions } from 'readdir';
 
const allTextFilesFilter = ['*.js'];
const options = [ReadDirOptions.ABSOLUTE_PATHS, ReadDirOptions.CASELESS_SORT];
const contents = readSync('some_path', allTextFilesFilter, options);
 

Examples

With filters:

const readDir = require('readdir');
 
// an array of all JavaScript files in some_path/
readDir.readSync( 'some_path/', ['**.js'] );

With ordering of results using filters:

const {readSync, read} = require('readdir');
 
// an array of all JavaScript files in some_path/ with base.js first, then all core then anything else
const filesArray = readSync( 'some_path/', ['base.js', 'core/**.js', '**.js'] );
 
// an array of all JavaScript files in some_path/ with base.js first, then all core then anything else
read( 'some_path/', ['base.js', 'core/**.js', '**.js'], function (err, filesArray) {
   // err either null or an error instance
   // filesArray the same as the return value from readSync
});

With options

const {readSync, read, ABSOLUTE_PATHS, CASELESS_SORT, ReadDirOptions} = require('readdir');
 
// an array of all files in some_path/ as absolute file paths
readSync( 'some_path/', null, ABSOLUTE_PATHS );
 
// an array of all files in some_path/ as absolute file paths sorted without case
read( 'some_path/', ABSOLUTE_PATHS + CASELESS_SORT, function (err, allFiles) {});
 
// an array of just directory names directly under some_path
read( 'some_path/', ['*/'], ReadDirOptions.INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES + ReadDirOptions.NON_RECURSIVE,
  function (err, allFiles) {});

Release History

Full details available in the change log.

Contributing

Pull requests and issue reports are welcomed via https://github.com/steveukx/readdir.js