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# Unlink [![NPM version][npm-image]][npm-url] [![Build Status][test-image]][test-url] [![Coverage Status][coverage-image]][coverage-url] > Remove a directory entry.
## Installation ```bash npm install @stdlib/fs-unlink ```
## Usage ```javascript var unlink = require( '@stdlib/fs-unlink' ); ``` #### unlink( path, clbk ) Asynchronously removes a directory entry specified by `path`. ```javascript var join = require( 'path' ).join; var fpath = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'fixtures', 'file.txt' ); unlink( fpath, done ); function done( error ) { if ( error ) { throw error; } } ``` #### unlink.sync( path ) Synchronously removes a directory entry specified by `path`. ```javascript var join = require( 'path' ).join; var fpath = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'fixtures', 'file.txt' ); var err = unlink.sync( fpath ); if ( err instanceof Error ) { throw err; } ```
## Notes - If a provided `path` is a symbolic link, the function removes the symbolic link named by the `path` and does not affect any file or directory named by the contents of the symbolic link. Otherwise, the function removes the link named by the provided `path` and decrements the link count of the file referenced by the link. When a file's link count becomes `0` and no process has the file open, the space occupied by the file is freed and the file is no longer accessible. If one or more processes have the file open when the last link is removed, the link is removed before the function returns; however, the removal of file contents is postponed until all references to the file are closed. If the `path` refers to a socket, FIFO, or device, processes which have the object open may continue to use it. - The path argument should **not** be a directory. To remove a directory, use [`rmdir()`][@stdlib/fs/rmdir]. - The difference between `unlink.sync` and [`fs.unlinkSync()`][node-fs] is that [`fs.unlinkSync()`][node-fs] will throw if an `error` is encountered (e.g., if given a non-existent path) and this API will return an `error`. Hence, the following anti-pattern ```javascript var fs = require( 'fs' ); // Check for path existence to prevent an error being thrown... if ( fs.existsSync( '/path/to' ) ) { fs.unlinkSync( '/path/to/file.txt' ); } ``` can be replaced by an approach which addresses existence via `error` handling. ```javascript var unlink = require( '@stdlib/fs-unlink' ); // Explicitly handle the error... var err = unlink.sync( '/path/to/file.txt' ); if ( err instanceof Error ) { // You choose what to do... throw err; } ```
## Examples ```javascript var join = require( 'path' ).join; var readFile = require( '@stdlib/fs-read-file' ).sync; var writeFile = require( '@stdlib/fs-write-file' ).sync; var exists = require( '@stdlib/fs-exists' ).sync; var unlink = require( '@stdlib/fs-unlink' ).sync; var src = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'fixtures', 'file.txt' ); var dest = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'tmp.txt' ); // Create a temporary file: writeFile( dest, readFile( src ) ); // Confirm that the temporary file exists: console.log( exists( dest ) ); // => true // Delete the temporary file: unlink( dest ); // Confirm that the temporary file no longer exists: console.log( exists( dest ) ); // => false ```
## See Also - [`@stdlib/fs-unlink-cli`][@stdlib/fs-unlink-cli]: CLI package for use as a command-line utility. - [`@stdlib/fs-exists`][@stdlib/fs/exists]: test whether a path exists on the filesystem.
* * * ## 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 © 2016-2026. The Stdlib [Authors][stdlib-authors].
[@stdlib/fs-unlink-cli]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/fs-unlink-cli [npm-image]: http://img.shields.io/npm/v/@stdlib/fs-unlink.svg [npm-url]: https://npmjs.org/package/@stdlib/fs-unlink [test-image]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/actions/workflows/test.yml/badge.svg?branch=v0.2.3 [test-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/actions/workflows/test.yml?query=branch:v0.2.3 [coverage-image]: https://img.shields.io/codecov/c/github/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/main.svg [coverage-url]: https://codecov.io/github/stdlib-js/fs-unlink?branch=main [chat-image]: https://img.shields.io/badge/zulip-join_chat-brightgreen.svg [chat-url]: https://stdlib.zulipchat.com [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-unlink#cli [cli-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/tree/cli [@stdlib/fs-unlink]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/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-unlink/tree/deno [deno-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/blob/deno/README.md [umd-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/tree/umd [umd-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/blob/umd/README.md [esm-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/tree/esm [esm-readme]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/blob/esm/README.md [branches-url]: https://github.com/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/blob/main/branches.md [stdlib-license]: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/stdlib-js/fs-unlink/main/LICENSE [node-fs]: https://nodejs.org/api/fs.html [@stdlib/fs/rmdir]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/fs-rmdir [@stdlib/fs/exists]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@stdlib/fs-exists