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path.dirname and basename

Learn path.dirname and path.basename.

dirname and basename

path.dirname returns the directory part of a path, while path.basename returns the file name. If you pass the extension as a second argument to basename, it strips it.

path.dirname('/a/b/c.txt');  // '/a/b'
path.basename('/a/b/c.txt');  // 'c.txt'
path.basename('/a/b/c.txt', '.txt');  // 'c'

These methods are handy when you want only the directory or only the file name from a path. They return fewer fields than path.parse; if you need a single component, dirname or basename is shorter.

Practice Your turn: dirname and basename

Start with import path from 'path'. Write const dir = path.dirname('/a/b/c.txt') and const file = path.basename('/a/b/c.txt'). Log with console.log(dir, file).

Starter code

index.js
// Import the path module
// Get dir with dirname, name with basename, log with console.log

Sample solution

index.js
import path from 'path';
const dir = path.dirname('/a/b/c.txt');
const file = path.basename('/a/b/c.txt');
console.log(dir, file);

Expected output

/a/b c.txt

dirname vs basename

dirname drops the last segment of a path and returns the directory part. basename does the opposite: it returns the last segment (the file name). Used together, they split a path into directory and file name.

const dir = path.dirname('/a/b/c.txt');  // '/a/b'
const file = path.basename('/a/b/c.txt'); // 'c.txt'

Here dir gives the directory holding the file, and file gives the file name. This split is useful when moving a file to another directory or showing only its name.

Questions and answers

Review the lesson questions together with their answers. To test yourself, solve the lesson interactively.

1 Fill in the blank: basename

Question 
import path from 'path';
const name = path.____('/a/b/c.txt');
console.log(name);
Answer 
import path from 'path';
const name = path.basename('/a/b/c.txt');
console.log(name);

Explanation: basename returns the file name.

2 What does path.dirname('/a/b/c.txt') return?

  • 'c.txt'
  • '/a/b' Correct answer
  • 'c'
  • '/a/b/c.txt'

Explanation: dirname returns the directory part.

3 dirname vs basename

Term Meaning
dirname directory part
basename file name
second argument drops extension

All lessons in Beginner

1 Node.js basics

  1. What is Node.js?
  2. Your first program
  3. ES modules
  4. package.json
  5. CommonJS vs ESM
  6. Summary - Node.js basics

2 Variables

  1. let and const
  2. var and scope
  3. Type inference
  4. Destructuring
  5. Spread and rest
  6. Summary - Variables

3 Data types

  1. Primitive types
  2. Template literals
  3. Number and Math
  4. Symbol
  5. typeof
  6. Summary - Data types

4 Project: Calculator

  1. Project design
  2. Add and subtract
  3. Multiply and divide
  4. process.argv
  5. Putting it together

5 Operators

  1. Arithmetic operators
  2. Assignment operators
  3. Comparison operators
  4. Logical operators
  5. Nullish coalescing
  6. Summary - Operators

6 Strings

  1. String methods
  2. String search
  3. substring and slice
  4. replace and split
  5. padStart and trim
  6. Summary - Strings

7 Conditionals

  1. The if statement
  2. else and else if
  3. switch
  4. Ternary
  5. Optional chaining
  6. Summary - Conditionals

8 Loops

  1. The for loop
  2. The while loop
  3. for...of
  4. for...in
  5. break and continue
  6. Summary - Loops

9 Project: Shopping cart

  1. Cart design
  2. Adding items
  3. Calculating totals
  4. Listing the cart
  5. Putting it together

10 Arrays

  1. Declaring arrays
  2. Array access
  3. push and pop
  4. shift and unshift
  5. splice and slice
  6. Summary - Arrays

11 Array methods

  1. map
  2. filter
  3. reduce
  4. find and some
  5. forEach
  6. Summary - Array methods

12 Objects

  1. Object literal
  2. Property access
  3. Computed properties
  4. Object methods
  5. Object spread
  6. Summary - Objects

13 Functions

  1. Defining functions
  2. Return values
  3. Arrow functions
  4. Default parameters
  5. Rest parameters
  6. Summary - Functions

14 Callbacks

  1. What are callbacks?
  2. Higher-order functions
  3. forEach with callbacks
  4. Error-first callbacks
  5. Callback hell
  6. Summary - Callbacks

15 Project: To-do CLI

  1. Task model
  2. Adding tasks
  3. Listing tasks
  4. Completing tasks
  5. Putting it together

16 Promises

  1. What are promises?
  2. then and catch
  3. Promise.all
  4. Promise.race
  5. finally
  6. Summary - Promises

17 async/await

  1. async function
  2. await
  3. try/catch
  4. await with Promise.all
  5. Sequential await
  6. Summary - async/await

18 fs module

  1. fs.promises
  2. readFile
  3. writeFile
  4. appendFile
  5. existsSync
  6. Summary - fs module

19 path module

  1. path.join
  2. path.resolve
  3. path.parse
  4. path.dirname and basename
  5. path.extname
  6. Summary - path module

20 Beginner final

  1. Project design
  2. Data model
  3. Business logic
  4. fs persistence
  5. Putting it together