# File Stores Node.js Reference

The File Stores Node.js helper allows you to manage files within Code Steps and Action components.

# $.files

The $.files helper is the main module to interact with the Project's File Store. It can instatiate new files, open files from descriptors and list the contents of the File Store.

# $.files.open(path)

Sync. Opens a file from the relative path. If the file doesn't exist, a new empty file is created.

# $.files.openDescriptor(fileDescriptor)

Sync. Creates a new File from the JSON friendly description of a file. Useful for recreating a File from a step export.

For example, export a File as a step export which will render the File as JSON:

// create_file
// Creates a new Project File and uploads an image to it
export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    // create the new file and upload the contents to it from a URL
    const file = await $.files.open("imgur.png").fromUrl("https://i.imgur.com/TVIPgNq.png")
    // return the file as a step export
    return file
  },
}

Then in a downstream step recreate the File instance from the step export friendly description:

// download_file
// Opens a file downloaded from a previous step, and saves it.
export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    // Convert the the description of the file back into a File instance
    const file = $.files.openDescriptor(steps.create_file.$return_value)
    // Download the file to the local /tmp directory
    await $.file.download('/tmp/example.png')
    console.log("File downloaded to /tmp")
  },
})

# $.files.dir(?path)

Sync. Lists the files & directories at the given path. By default it will list the files at the root directory.

Here's an example of how to iterate over the files in the root directory and open them as File instances:

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    // list all contents of the root File Stores directory in this project
    const dirs = $.files.dir();
    let files = [];

    for await(const dir of dirs) {
      // if this is a file, let's open it
      if(dir.isFile()) {
        files.push(await $.files.open(dir.path))
      }
    }

    return files
  },
})

Each iteratee of $.files.dir() will contain the following properties:

  • isDirectory() - true if this instance is a directory.
  • isFile() - true if this instance is a file.
  • path - The path to the file.
  • size - The size of the file in bytes.
  • modifiedAt - The last modified at timestamp.

# File

This class describes an instance of a single file within a File Store.

When using $.files.open or $.files.openDescriptor, you'll create a new instance of a File with helper methods that give you more flexibility to perform programatic actions with the file.

# File.toUrl()

Async. The pre-signed GET URL to retrieve the file.

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    // Retrieve the pre-signed GET URL for logo.png 
    const url = await $.files.open('logo.png').toUrl()

    return url
  },
})

Pre-signed GET URLs are short lived.

The File.toUrl() will expire after 30 minutes.

# File.toFile(path)

Async. Downloads the file to the local path in the current workflow. If the file doesn't exist, a new one will be created at the path specified.

Only `/tmp` is writable in workflow environments

Only the /tmp directory is writable in your workflow's exection environment. So you must download your file to the /tmp directory.

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    // Download the file in the File Store to the workflow's /tmp/ directory
    await $.files.open('logo.png').toFile("/tmp/logo.png")
  },
})

# File.toBuffer()

Async. Downloads the file as a Buffer to create readable or writeable streams.

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    // opens a file at the path "hello.txt" and downloads it as a Buffer
    const buffer = await $.files.open('hello.txt').toBuffer()
    // Logs the contents of the Buffer as a string
    console.log(buffer.toString())
  },
})

# File.fromFile(localFilePath, ?contentType)

Async. Uploads a file from the file at the /tmp local path. For example, if localFilePath is given /tmp/recording.mp3, it will upload that file to the current File Store File instance.

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    // Upload a file to the File Store from the local /tmp/ directory
    const file = await $.files.open('recording.mp3').fromFile('/tmp/recording.mp3')

    console.log(file.url)
  },
})

# File.fromUrl(url)

Async. Accepts a url to read from.

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    // Upload a file to the File Store by a URL
    const file = await $.files.open('pipedream.png').fromUrl('https://res.cloudinary.com/pipedreamin/image/upload/t_logo48x48/v1597038956/docs/HzP2Yhq8_400x400_1_sqhs70.jpg')

    console.log(file.url)
  },
})

# File.createWriteStream(?contentType, ?contentLength)

Async. Creates a write stream to populate the file with.

Pass the content length if possible

The contentLength argument is optional, however we do recommend passing it. Otherwise the entire file will need to be written to the local /tmp before it can be uploaded to the File store.

import { pipeline } from 'stream/promises';
import got from 'got'

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    const writeStream = await $.files.open('logo.png').createWriteStream("image/png", 2153)

    const readStream = got.stream('https://pdrm.co/logo')

    await pipeline(readStream, writeStream);
  },
})

# File.fromReadableStream(?contentType, ?contentLength)

Async. Populates a file's contents from the ReadableStream.

Pass the content length if possible

The contentLength argument is optional, however we do recommend passing it. Otherwise the entire file will need to be written to the local /tmp before it can be uploaded to the File store.

import got from 'got'

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    // Start a new read stream
    const readStream = got.stream('https://pdrm.co/logo')

    // Populate the file's content from the read stream
    await $.files.open("logo.png").fromReadableStream(readStream, "image/png", 2153)
  },
})

# File.delete()

Async. Deletes the Project File.

export default defineComponent({
  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    // Open the Project File and delete it
    const file = await $.files.open('example.png').delete()

    console.log('File deleted.')
  },
})

Deleting files is irreversible

It's not possible to restore deleted files. Please take care when deleting files.

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