rimraf

A `rm -rf` util for nodejs

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Quick Overview

Rimraf is a Node.js module that provides a cross-platform solution for the UNIX command rm -rf. It offers a way to recursively delete files and directories, handling various edge cases and permissions issues that can arise when deleting nested structures.

Pros

Cross-platform compatibility (works on Windows, macOS, and Linux)
Handles complex file and directory structures efficiently
Provides both synchronous and asynchronous APIs
Well-maintained and widely used in the Node.js ecosystem

Cons

Can be dangerous if used incorrectly (potential for unintended data loss)
May require additional configuration for certain edge cases
Performance can be slower compared to native OS commands for simple deletions
Limited to Node.js environments

Code Examples

Basic usage (asynchronous):

const rimraf = require('rimraf');

rimraf('./some-directory', (error) => {
  if (error) {
    console.error('Error deleting directory:', error);
  } else {
    console.log('Directory deleted successfully');
  }
});

Using promises:

const { rimraf } = require('rimraf');

async function deleteDirectory() {
  try {
    await rimraf('./some-directory');
    console.log('Directory deleted successfully');
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error deleting directory:', error);
  }
}

deleteDirectory();

Synchronous usage:

const { rimrafSync } = require('rimraf');

try {
  rimrafSync('./some-directory');
  console.log('Directory deleted successfully');
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Error deleting directory:', error);
}

Getting Started

To use rimraf in your Node.js project:

Install the package:
```
npm install rimraf
```

Import and use in your code:

const { rimraf } = require('rimraf');

// Asynchronous usage
rimraf('./path/to/delete', { glob: true }).then(() => {
  console.log('Deletion complete');
}).catch((error) => {
  console.error('Error:', error);
});

// Synchronous usage
const { rimrafSync } = require('rimraf');
rimrafSync('./path/to/delete', { glob: true });

Remember to handle errors and use with caution, especially when dealing with important data or system directories.

Competitor Comparisons

del

1,318

Delete files and directories

Pros of del

Supports globbing patterns for more flexible file matching
Provides a Promise-based API for easier async operations
Offers additional options like dryRun and onProgress for better control

Cons of del

Larger package size due to additional dependencies
May have slightly slower performance for simple deletion tasks
Less battle-tested compared to rimraf's long history

Code Comparison

del:

import del from 'del';

await del(['temp/*.js', '!temp/important.js']);

rimraf:

import rimraf from 'rimraf';

rimraf('temp/*.js', (err) => {
  if (err) console.error(err);
});

Key Differences

del uses a more modern, Promise-based approach, while rimraf relies on callbacks
del supports globbing patterns out of the box, whereas rimraf requires additional setup
rimraf is more focused on being a cross-platform rm -rf implementation, while del offers more features for file deletion tasks

Use Cases

Choose del for projects requiring advanced file matching or Promise-based workflows
Opt for rimraf in simpler scenarios or when minimizing dependencies is crucial

Both libraries effectively handle file and directory deletion, but del provides more features at the cost of increased package size and complexity.

node-fs-extra

9,441

Node.js: extra methods for the fs object like copy(), remove(), mkdirs()

Pros of fs-extra

Provides a comprehensive set of file system operations beyond just removal
Offers promise-based versions of all methods for easier async handling
Includes additional utility functions like emptyDir and ensureDir

Cons of fs-extra

Larger package size due to more extensive functionality
May have a steeper learning curve for users who only need simple file removal

Code Comparison

fs-extra:

const fs = require('fs-extra')

fs.remove('/tmp/myfile', err => {
  if (err) return console.error(err)
  console.log('success!')
})

rimraf:

const rimraf = require('rimraf')

rimraf('/tmp/myfile', (err) => {
  if (err) return console.error(err)
  console.log('success!')
})

Key Differences

fs-extra is a more comprehensive file system utility library, while rimraf focuses specifically on recursive file and directory removal
fs-extra includes rimraf-like functionality with its remove method, but offers many additional features
rimraf is lighter-weight and may be preferred for projects that only need file removal capabilities
fs-extra provides both callback and promise-based APIs, while rimraf primarily uses callbacks (though a promise version is available)

Both libraries are widely used and well-maintained, with the choice between them depending on the specific needs of a project and the desired balance between functionality and package size.

shelljs

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:shell: Portable Unix shell commands for Node.js

Pros of shelljs

Provides a comprehensive set of Unix shell commands for cross-platform scripting
Offers more functionality beyond file system operations, including process management and environment variables
Allows for chaining commands and creating complex scripts within JavaScript

Cons of shelljs

Larger package size and more dependencies compared to rimraf
May be overkill for projects that only need simple file system operations
Slightly more complex API for basic tasks like removing directories

Code Comparison

rimraf:

const rimraf = require('rimraf');
rimraf('./some-directory', (error) => {
  if (error) console.error('Error:', error);
  else console.log('Directory removed');
});

shelljs:

const shell = require('shelljs');
if (shell.rm('-rf', './some-directory').code !== 0) {
  console.error('Error: Directory removal failed');
} else {
  console.log('Directory removed');
}

Both rimraf and shelljs are popular Node.js packages for file system operations, but they serve different purposes. rimraf is focused specifically on providing a cross-platform solution for recursively removing directories, while shelljs aims to bring the power of Unix shell commands to Node.js scripts.

rimraf is lightweight and specialized, making it ideal for projects that only need directory removal functionality. shelljs, on the other hand, offers a broader range of features, making it suitable for more complex scripting tasks but potentially excessive for simpler use cases.

node-glob

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glob functionality for node.js

Pros of node-glob

More versatile, allowing complex file matching patterns
Supports asynchronous and synchronous operations
Provides more granular control over file matching

Cons of node-glob

More complex to use for simple file operations
Potentially slower for basic file deletion tasks
Requires more configuration for simple use cases

Code Comparison

node-glob:

const glob = require('glob');

glob('**/*.js', (err, files) => {
  console.log(files);
});

rimraf:

const rimraf = require('rimraf');

rimraf('./directory', (err) => {
  console.log('done');
});

Summary

node-glob is a powerful file matching utility that offers extensive pattern matching capabilities, while rimraf is focused on efficient directory and file removal. node-glob provides more flexibility but may be overkill for simple file operations. rimraf, on the other hand, excels at quick and straightforward file and directory deletion tasks.

node-glob is ideal for projects requiring complex file searching and matching, whereas rimraf is better suited for projects that need fast and reliable file system cleanup operations. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your project and the complexity of file operations needed.

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README

The UNIX command rm -rf for node in a cross-platform implementation.

Install with npm install rimraf.

Major Changes

v5 to v6

Require node 20 or >=22
Add --version to CLI

v4 to v5

There is no default export anymore. Import the functions directly using, e.g., import { rimrafSync } from 'rimraf'.

v3 to v4

The function returns a Promise instead of taking a callback.
Globbing requires the --glob CLI option or glob option property to be set. (Removed in 4.0 and 4.1, opt-in support added in 4.2.)
Functions take arrays of paths, as well as a single path.
Native implementation used by default when available, except on Windows, where this implementation is faster and more reliable.
New implementation on Windows, falling back to "move then remove" strategy when exponential backoff for EBUSY fails to resolve the situation.
Simplified implementation on POSIX, since the Windows affordances are not necessary there.
As of 4.3, return/resolve value is boolean instead of undefined.

API

Hybrid module, load either with import or require().

// 'rimraf' export is the one you probably want, but other
// strategies exported as well.
import { rimraf, rimrafSync, native, nativeSync } from 'rimraf'
// or
const { rimraf, rimrafSync, native, nativeSync } = require('rimraf')

All removal functions return a boolean indicating that all entries were successfully removed.

The only case in which this will not return true is if something was omitted from the removal via a filter option.

`rimraf(f, [opts]) -> Promise`

This first parameter is a path or array of paths. The second argument is an options object.

Options:

preserveRoot: If set to boolean false, then allow the recursive removal of the root directory. Otherwise, this is not allowed.
tmp: Windows only. Temp folder to place files and folders for the "move then remove" fallback. Must be on the same physical device as the path being deleted. Defaults to os.tmpdir() when that is on the same drive letter as the path being deleted, or ${drive}:\temp if present, or ${drive}:\ if not.
maxRetries: Windows and Native only. Maximum number of retry attempts in case of EBUSY, EMFILE, and ENFILE errors. Default 10 for Windows implementation, 0 for Native implementation.
backoff: Windows only. Rate of exponential backoff for async removal in case of EBUSY, EMFILE, and ENFILE errors. Should be a number greater than 1. Default 1.2
maxBackoff: Windows only. Maximum total backoff time in ms to attempt asynchronous retries in case of EBUSY, EMFILE, and ENFILE errors. Default 200. With the default 1.2 backoff rate, this results in 14 retries, with the final retry being delayed 33ms.
retryDelay: Native only. Time to wait between retries, using linear backoff. Default 100.
signal Pass in an AbortSignal to cancel the directory removal. This is useful when removing large folder structures, if you'd like to limit the time spent.

Using a signal option prevents the use of Node's built-in fs.rm because that implementation does not support abort signals.
glob Boolean flag to treat path as glob pattern, or an object specifying glob options.
filter Method that returns a boolean indicating whether that path should be deleted. With async rimraf methods, this may return a Promise that resolves to a boolean. (Since Promises are truthy, returning a Promise from a sync filter is the same as just not filtering anything.)

The first argument to the filter is the path string. The second argument is either a Dirent or Stats object for that path. (The first path explored will be a Stats, the rest will be Dirent.)

If a filter method is provided, it will only remove entries if the filter returns (or resolves to) a truthy value. Omitting a directory will still allow its children to be removed, unless they are also filtered out, but any parents of a filtered entry will not be removed, since the directory will not be empty in that case.

Using a filter method prevents the use of Node's built-in fs.rm because that implementation does not support filtering.

Any other options are provided to the native Node.js fs.rm implementation when that is used.

This will attempt to choose the best implementation, based on the Node.js version and process.platform. To force a specific implementation, use one of the other functions provided.

`rimraf.sync(f, [opts])`
`rimraf.rimrafSync(f, [opts])`

Synchronous form of rimraf()

Note that, unlike many file system operations, the synchronous form will typically be significantly slower than the async form, because recursive deletion is extremely parallelizable.

`rimraf.native(f, [opts])`

Uses the built-in fs.rm implementation that Node.js provides. This is used by default on Node.js versions greater than or equal to 14.14.0.

`rimraf.native.sync(f, [opts])`
`rimraf.nativeSync(f, [opts])`

Synchronous form of rimraf.native

`rimraf.manual(f, [opts])`

Use the JavaScript implementation appropriate for your operating system.

`rimraf.manual.sync(f, [opts])`
`rimraf.manualSync(f, opts)`

Synchronous form of rimraf.manual()

`rimraf.windows(f, [opts])`

JavaScript implementation of file removal appropriate for Windows platforms. Works around unlink and rmdir not being atomic operations, and EPERM when deleting files with certain permission modes.

First deletes all non-directory files within the tree, and then removes all directories, which should ideally be empty by that time. When an ENOTEMPTY is raised in the second pass, falls back to the rimraf.moveRemove strategy as needed.

`rimraf.windows.sync(path, [opts])`
`rimraf.windowsSync(path, [opts])`

Synchronous form of rimraf.windows()

`rimraf.moveRemove(path, [opts])`

Moves all files and folders to the parent directory of path with a temporary filename prior to attempting to remove them.

Note that, in cases where the operation fails, this may leave files lying around in the parent directory with names like .file-basename.txt.0.123412341. Until the Windows kernel provides a way to perform atomic unlink and rmdir operations, this is, unfortunately, unavoidable.

To move files to a different temporary directory other than the parent, provide opts.tmp. Note that this must be on the same physical device as the folder being deleted, or else the operation will fail.

This is the slowest strategy, but most reliable on Windows platforms. Used as a last-ditch fallback by rimraf.windows().

`rimraf.moveRemove.sync(path, [opts])`
`rimraf.moveRemoveSync(path, [opts])`

Synchronous form of rimraf.moveRemove()

Command Line Interface

rimraf version 6.0.1

Usage: rimraf <path> [<path> ...]
Deletes all files and folders at "path", recursively.

Options:
  --                   Treat all subsequent arguments as paths
  -h --help            Display this usage info
  --version            Display version
  --preserve-root      Do not remove '/' recursively (default)
  --no-preserve-root   Do not treat '/' specially
  -G --no-glob         Treat arguments as literal paths, not globs (default)
  -g --glob            Treat arguments as glob patterns
  -v --verbose         Be verbose when deleting files, showing them as
                       they are removed. Not compatible with --impl=native
  -V --no-verbose      Be silent when deleting files, showing nothing as
                       they are removed (default)
  -i --interactive     Ask for confirmation before deleting anything
                       Not compatible with --impl=native
  -I --no-interactive  Do not ask for confirmation before deleting

  --impl=<type>        Specify the implementation to use:
                       rimraf: choose the best option (default)
                       native: the built-in implementation in Node.js
                       manual: the platform-specific JS implementation
                       posix: the Posix JS implementation
                       windows: the Windows JS implementation (falls back to
                                move-remove on ENOTEMPTY)
                       move-remove: a slow reliable Windows fallback

Implementation-specific options:
  --tmp=<path>        Temp file folder for 'move-remove' implementation
  --max-retries=<n>   maxRetries for 'native' and 'windows' implementations
  --retry-delay=<n>   retryDelay for 'native' implementation, default 100
  --backoff=<n>       Exponential backoff factor for retries (default: 1.2)

mkdirp

If you need to create a directory recursively, check out mkdirp.

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Quick Overview

Pros

Cons

Code Examples

Getting Started

Competitor Comparisons

Pros of del

Cons of del

Code Comparison

Key Differences

Use Cases

Pros of fs-extra

Cons of fs-extra

Code Comparison

Key Differences

Pros of shelljs

Cons of shelljs

Code Comparison

Pros of node-glob

Cons of node-glob

Code Comparison

Summary

Convert designs to code with AI

README

Major Changes

v5 to v6

v4 to v5

v3 to v4

API

rimraf(f, [opts]) -> Promise

rimraf.sync(f, [opts]) rimraf.rimrafSync(f, [opts])

rimraf.native(f, [opts])

rimraf.native.sync(f, [opts]) rimraf.nativeSync(f, [opts])

rimraf.manual(f, [opts])

rimraf.manual.sync(f, [opts]) rimraf.manualSync(f, opts)

rimraf.windows(f, [opts])

rimraf.windows.sync(path, [opts]) rimraf.windowsSync(path, [opts])

rimraf.moveRemove(path, [opts])

rimraf.moveRemove.sync(path, [opts]) rimraf.moveRemoveSync(path, [opts])

Command Line Interface

mkdirp

Top Related Projects

Convert designs to code with AI

NPM DownloadsLast 30 Days

`rimraf(f, [opts]) -> Promise`

`rimraf.sync(f, [opts])`
`rimraf.rimrafSync(f, [opts])`

`rimraf.native(f, [opts])`

`rimraf.native.sync(f, [opts])`
`rimraf.nativeSync(f, [opts])`

`rimraf.manual(f, [opts])`

`rimraf.manual.sync(f, [opts])`
`rimraf.manualSync(f, opts)`

`rimraf.windows(f, [opts])`

`rimraf.windows.sync(path, [opts])`
`rimraf.windowsSync(path, [opts])`

`rimraf.moveRemove(path, [opts])`

`rimraf.moveRemove.sync(path, [opts])`
`rimraf.moveRemoveSync(path, [opts])`