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DirectoryEntrySync

files/en-us/web/api/directoryentrysync/index.md

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{{APIRef("File and Directory Entries API")}}{{Non-standard_Header}}{{Deprecated_Header}}

The DirectoryEntrySync interface represents a directory in a file system. It includes methods for creating, reading, looking up, and recursively removing files in a directory.

[!WARNING] This interface is deprecated and is no more on the standard track. Do not use it anymore. Use the File and Directory Entries API instead.

Basic concepts

If you want to create subdirectories, you have to create each child directory in sequence. If you try to create a directory using a full path that includes parent directories that do not exist yet, you get an error. So create the hierarchy by recursively adding a new path after creating the parent directory.

Example

The getFile() method returns a FileEntrySync, which represents a file in the file system. The following creates an empty file called logs.txt in the root directory.

js
const fileEntry = fs.root.getFile("logs.txt", { create: true });

The getDirectory() method returns a DirectoryEntrySync, which represents a file in the file system. The following creates a new directory called project_dir in the root directory.

js
const dirEntry = fs.root.getDirectory("project_dir", { create: true });

Method overview

  • <a href="#createreader">createReader()</a>
  • <a href="#getfile">getFile()</a>
  • <a href="#getdirectory">getDirectory()</a>
  • <a href="#removerecursively">removeRecursively()</a>

Instance methods

createReader()

Creates a new DirectoryReaderSync to read entries from this directory.

Syntax

js-nolint
createReader()
Parameters

None.

Return value

A DirectoryReaderSync object represents a directory in a file system.

Exceptions

This method can raise a {{domxref("DOMException")}} with the following codes:

ExceptionDescription
NOT_FOUND_ERRThe directory does not exist.
SECURITY_ERRThe browser determined that it was not safe to look up the metadata. [ todo: Explain why ]

getFile()

Depending on how you've set the options parameter, the method either creates a file or looks up an existing file.

Syntax

js-nolint
getFile(path)
getFile(path, options)
Parameters
  • path
    • : Either an absolute path or a relative path from the directory to the file to be looked up or created. You cannot create a file whose immediate parent does not exist. Create the parent directory first.
  • options
    • : (optional) An object literal describing the behavior of the method. If the file does not exist, it is created.
<table class="no-markdown"> <thead> <tr> <th scope="col">Object literal</th> <th scope="col">Condition</th> <th scope="col">Result</th> </tr> <tr> <td><code>create: true</code> <code>exclusive: true</code></td> <td>Path already exists</td> <td>An error is thrown.</td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><code>create: true</code> <code>exclusive: false</code></td> <td>Path doesn't exist and no other error occurs</td> <td>A file is created. If a file already exists, no error is thrown.</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <code>create: false</code> (<code>exclusive</code> is ignored) </td> <td>Path exists</td> <td>The file is returned.</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <code>create: false</code> (<code>exclusive</code> is ignored) </td> <td>Path doesn't exist</td> <td>An error is thrown.</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <code>create: false</code> (<code>exclusive</code> is ignored) </td> <td>Path exists, but is a directory</td> <td>An error is thrown.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
Return value

A FileEntrySync object representing a file in a file system.

Exceptions

This method can raise a {{domxref("DOMException")}} with the following codes:

ExceptionDescription
ENCODING_ERRThe path supplied is invalid.
NOT_FOUND_ERRThe path was structurally correct, but refers to a resource that does not exist.
NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERRThis is a permission issue. The target directory or file is not writable.
PATH_EXISTS_ERRThe file already exists. You cannot create another one with the same path.
QUOTA_EXCEEDED_ERRORThe operation would cause the application to exceed its storage quota.
SECURITY_ERRThe application does not have permission to access the element referred to by path. [ todo: Explain why ]
TYPE_MISMATCH_ERRThe path supplied exists, but it is not a directory.

getDirectory()

Creates or looks up a directory. The method is similar to getFile() with DirectoryEntrySync being passed.

Syntax

js-nolint
getDirectory(path)
getDirectory(path, options)
Parameters
  • path
    • : Either an absolute path or a relative path from the directory to the file to be looked up or created. You cannot create a file whose immediate parent does not exist. Create the parent directory first.
  • options
    • : (optional) An object literal describing the behavior of the method if the file does not exist.
<table class="no-markdown"> <thead> <tr> <th scope="col">Object literal</th> <th scope="col">Condition</th> <th scope="col">Result</th> </tr> <tr> <td><code>create: true</code> <code>exclusive: true</code></td> <td>Path already exists</td> <td>An error is thrown.</td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><code>create: true</code> <code>exclusive: false</code></td> <td>Path doesn't exist and no other error occurs</td> <td> A directory is created. If a file already exists, no error is thrown. </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <code>create: false</code> (<code>exclusive</code> is ignored) </td> <td>Path exists</td> <td>The directory is returned.</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <code>create: false</code> (<code>exclusive</code> is ignored) </td> <td>Path doesn't exist</td> <td>An error is thrown.</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <code>create: false</code> (<code>exclusive</code> is ignored) </td> <td>Path exists, but is a directory</td> <td>An error is thrown.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
Return value

A DirectoryEntrySync object representing a directory in a file system.

Exceptions

This method can raise a {{domxref("DOMException")}} with the following codes:

ExceptionDescription
ENCODING_ERRThe path supplied is invalid.
NOT_FOUND_ERRThe path was structurally correct, but refers to a resource that does not exist.
NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERRThis is a permission issue. The target directory or file is not writable.
PATH_EXISTS_ERRThe file already exists. You cannot create another one with the same path.
QUOTA_EXCEEDED_ERRORThe operation would cause the application to exceed its storage quota.
SECURITY_ERRThe application does not have permission to access the element referred to by path. [ todo: Explain why ]
TYPE_MISMATCH_ERRThe path supplied exists, but it is not a directory.

removeRecursively()

Deletes a directory and all of its contents. You cannot delete the root directory of a file system.

If you delete a directory that contains a file that cannot be removed or if an error occurs while the deletion is in progress, some of the contents might not be deleted. Catch these cases with error callbacks and retry the deletion.

Syntax

js-nolint
removeRecursively()
Parameters

None.

Return value

{{jsxref('undefined')}}

Exceptions

This method can raise a {{domxref("DOMException")}} with the following codes:

<table class="no-markdown"> <thead> <tr> <th scope="col">Exception</th> <th scope="col">Description</th> </tr> <tr> <td><code>NOT_FOUND_ERR</code></td> <td>The target directory does not exist.</td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><code>INVALID_STATE_ERR</code></td> <td> This directory is not longer valid for some reason other than being deleted. <p>[todo: Explain more ]</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><code>NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR</code></td> <td> One of the following is not writable: the directory, its parent directory, and some of the content in the directory. </td> </tr> <tr> <td><code>SECURITY_ERR</code></td> <td> The application does not have permission to access the target directory, its parent, or some of its contents. </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

Specifications

This feature is not part of any current specification. It is no longer on track to become a standard. Use the File and Directory Entries API instead.

Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

See also