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  3. Node.js — What is `Fs.realpath`?

Node.js — What is `Fs.realpath`?

The Fs.realpath method in Node.js resolves the actual file system location of a given path. For example, you’re typically creating a symlink for nginx configuration files from the directory containing all available files to the directory having the enabled files.

You can use the Node.js file system module to resolve the real, absolute file path for a given candidate.

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Fs.realpath in Node.js

The Node.js node:fs core module comes with the Fs.realpath method. This Fs.realpath method resolves the full, absolute path to a given file:

import Fs from 'node:fs/promises'

await Fs.realpath('/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/futurestud.io')  
// /etc/nginx/sites-available/futurestudio/homepage

You can’t resolve the real path using Node.js’ node:path core module. It’s fair to think that the path module would provide a method to resolve a real path. But it doesn’t. Here are two methods we thought would also resolve the real file path, but they don’t:

import Path from 'node:path'

Path.resolve('/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/futurestud.io')  
// /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/futurestud.io

Path.dirname('/var/log')  
// /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/futurestud.io

You have to use Node.js’ file system methods to retrieve the real file system path.

Use the @supercharge/fs Package

I’m the maintainer of the @supercharge/fs package providing convenient file system utilities. This package also provides the Fs.realPath method. Please notice the camelCase naming of Fs.realPath here:

import Fs from '@supercharge/fs'

await Fs.realPath('/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/futurestud.io')  
// /etc/nginx/sites-available/futurestudio/homepage

That’s it!

Mentioned Resources

Marcus Pöhls

Marcus is a fullstack JS developer. He’s passionate about the hapi framework for Node.js and loves to build web apps and APIs. Creator of Futureflix and the “learn hapi” learning path.

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