npm package: @stdlib/fs-read-dir
Description: Read the entire contents of a directory.
Author: The Stdlib Authors
Latest version: 0.2.3

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<details>
  <summary>
    About stdlib...
  </summary>
  <p>We believe in a future in which the web is a preferred environment for numerical computation. To help realize this future, we've built stdlib. stdlib is a standard library, with an emphasis on numerical and scientific computation, written in JavaScript (and C) for execution in browsers and in Node.js.</p>
  <p>The library is fully decomposable, being architected in such a way that you can swap out and mix and match APIs and functionality to cater to your exact preferences and use cases.</p>
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</details>

# Read Directory

[![NPM version][npm-image]][npm-url] [![Build Status][test-image]][test-url] [![Coverage Status][coverage-image]][coverage-url] <!-- [![dependencies][dependencies-image]][dependencies-url] -->

> Read the contents of a directory.

<section class="installation">

## Installation

```bash
npm install @stdlib/fs-read-dir
```

</section>

<section class="usage">

## Usage

```javascript
var readDir = require( '@stdlib/fs-read-dir' );
```

#### readDir( path, clbk )

Asynchronously reads the contents of a directory.

```javascript
readDir( __dirname, onRead );

function onRead( error, data ) {
    if ( error ) {
        console.error( error );
    } else {
        console.log( data );
        // => [...]
    }
}
```

#### readDir.sync( path )

Synchronously reads the contents of a directory.

```javascript
var out = readDir.sync( __dirname );
if ( out instanceof Error ) {
    throw out;
}
console.log( out );
// => [...]
```

</section>

<!-- /.usage -->

<section class="notes">

## Notes

-   The difference between this module and [`fs.readdirSync()`][fs] is that [`fs.readdirSync()`][fs] will throw if an `error` is encountered (e.g., if given a non-existent `path`) and this module will return an `error`. Hence, the following anti-pattern

    ```javascript
    var fs = require( 'fs' );

    var dir = '/path/to/dir';

    // Check for existence to prevent an error being thrown...
    if ( fs.existsSync( dir ) ) {
        dir = fs.readdirSync( dir );
    }
    ```

    can be replaced by an approach which addresses existence via `error` handling.

    ```javascript
    var readDir = require( '@stdlib/fs-read-dir' );

    var dir = '/path/to/dir';

    // Explicitly handle the error...
    dir = readDir.sync( dir );
    if ( dir instanceof Error ) {
        // You choose what to do...
        throw dir;
    }
    ```

</section>

<!-- /.notes -->

<section class="examples">

## Examples

<!-- eslint no-undef: "error" -->

```javascript
var readDir = require( '@stdlib/fs-read-dir' );

/* Sync */

var out = readDir.sync( __dirname );
// returns <Array>

console.log( out instanceof Error );
// => false

out = readDir.sync( 'beepboop' );
// returns <Error>

console.log( out instanceof Error );
// => true

/* Async */

readDir( __dirname, onRead );
readDir( 'beepboop', onRead );

function onRead( error, data ) {
    if ( error ) {
        if ( error.code === 'ENOENT' ) {
            console.error( 'Directory does not exist.' );
        } else {
            throw error;
        }
    } else {
        console.log( data );
    }
}
```

</section>

<!-- /.examples -->



<!-- Section for related `stdlib` packages. Do not manually edit this section, as it is automatically populated. -->

<section class="related">

## See Also

-   <span class="package-name">[`@stdlib/fs-read-dir-cli`][@stdlib/fs-read-dir-cli]</span><span class="delimiter">: </span><span class="description">CLI package for use as a command-line utility.</span>
-   <span class="package-name">[`@stdlib/fs-exists`][@stdlib/fs/exists]</span><span class="delimiter">: </span><span class="description">test whether a path exists on the filesystem.</span>
-   <span class="package-name">[`@stdlib/fs-read-file`][@stdlib/fs/read-file]</span><span class="delimiter">: </span><span class="description">read the entire contents of a file.</span>

</section>

<!-- /.related -->

<!-- Section for all links. Make sure to keep an empty line after the `section` element and another before the `/section` close. -->


<section class="main-repo" >

* * *

## Notice

This package is part of [stdlib][stdlib], a standard library for JavaScript and Node.js, with an emphasis on numerical and scientific computing. The library provides a collection of robust, high performance libraries for mathematics, statistics, streams, utilities, and more.

For more information on the project, filing bug reports and feature requests, and guidance on how to develop [stdlib][stdlib], see the main project [repository][stdlib].

#### Community

[![Chat][chat-image]][chat-url]

---

## License

See [LICENSE][stdlib-license].


## Copyright

Copyright &copy; 2016-2026. The Stdlib [Authors][stdlib-authors].

</section>

<!-- /.stdlib -->

<!-- Section for all links. Make sure to keep an empty line after the `section` element and another before the `/section` close. -->

<section class="links">

[@stdlib/fs-read-dir-cli]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/fs-read-dir-cli

[npm-image]: http://img.shields.io/npm/v/@stdlib/fs-read-dir.svg
[npm-url]: https://npmjs.org/package/@stdlib/fs-read-dir

[test-image]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/actions/workflows/test.yml/badge.svg?branch=v0.2.3
[test-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/actions/workflows/test.yml?query=branch:v0.2.3

[coverage-image]: https://img.shields.io/codecov/c/github/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/main.svg
[coverage-url]: https://codecov.io/github/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir?branch=main

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[stdlib]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/stdlib

[stdlib-authors]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/stdlib/graphs/contributors

[cli-section]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir#cli
[cli-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/tree/cli
[@stdlib/fs-read-dir]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/tree/main

[umd]: https://github.com/umdjs/umd
[es-module]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Guide/Modules

[deno-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/tree/deno
[deno-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/blob/deno/README.md
[umd-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/tree/umd
[umd-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/blob/umd/README.md
[esm-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/tree/esm
[esm-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/blob/esm/README.md
[branches-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/blob/main/branches.md

[stdlib-license]: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/stdlib-js/fs-read-dir/main/LICENSE

[fs]: https://nodejs.org/api/fs.html

<!-- <related-links> -->

[@stdlib/fs/exists]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/fs-exists

[@stdlib/fs/read-file]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/fs-read-file

<!-- </related-links> -->

</section>

<!-- /.links -->