What is fs?

The fs module in Node.js provides an API for interacting with the file system. It allows you to perform various operations such as reading files, writing files, creating directories, deleting files and directories, and more.

Here are some key aspects of the fs module:

• File System Operations: This module gives you the ability to do things like read, write, update, delete and move files.
• Asynchronous Operations: Many fs module functions are asynchronous, meaning they don't block the main thread while waiting for the file system operation to complete. This is important for maintaining the responsiveness of your Node.js applications. They use callbacks to signal completion or errors.
• Synchronous Operations: The fs module also provides synchronous versions of most functions (e.g., readFileSync instead of readFile). These block the main thread until the operation is complete, so they should be used with caution in production environments, especially when dealing with large files or frequent operations. They are better suited for initialization tasks or command-line tools.
• File Paths: You must provide correct file paths to the fs functions, whether absolute or relative. Incorrect file paths will lead to errors.
• Error Handling: It's crucial to handle errors when working with the fs module, especially with asynchronous operations. Use try...catch blocks around synchronous calls and check for errors in the callbacks of asynchronous functions.
• Permissions: The Node.js process must have the necessary permissions to perform the desired operations on the file system. This depends on the operating system and the user account running the Node.js process.
• Streams: The fs module can be used with streams for efficiently reading and writing large files in chunks. This avoids loading the entire file into memory at once, making it more memory-efficient.