Node.js – Path Module

Node.js – Path Module

The path module in Node.js provides utilities for working with file and directory paths. It helps build and manipulate file system paths in a platform-independent way (e.g., / on Linux/macOS vs \ on Windows).

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Why Use the path Module?

• Avoid hardcoding file paths.
• Handle platform-specific path separators.
• Easily join, resolve, normalize, or parse paths.

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Importing the path Module

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Commonly Used Path Methods

1. path.join()

Joins all given path segments into one path using the appropriate separator.

2. path.resolve()

Resolves a sequence of paths into an absolute path.

3. path.basename()

Returns the last portion of a path (the file name).

4. path.extname()

Returns the file extension.

5. path.dirname()

Returns the directory portion of a path.

6. path.parse()

Parses a file path into an object with properties like root, dir, base, ext, and name.

7. path.format()

Creates a path string from an object (reverse of path.parse()).

8. path.isAbsolute()

Checks if a path is absolute.

9. path.sep

Returns the platform-specific path segment separator.

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Real-World Example

Combining path methods to read a file safely:

Using path.join() ensures platform compatibility across operating systems.

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Key Takeaways

• The path module is essential for file path manipulation in a cross-platform environment.
• Use path.join() and path.resolve() for building paths.
• Use path.basename(), path.extname(), and path.dirname() to extract file components.
• path.parse() and path.format() help with detailed file path management.