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Determine Project Root from a Running Node. Js Application

Chloe Bennett • • 18 min read
Determine Project Root from a Running Node. Js Application

Is there a different way, other than process.cwd(), to get the pathname of the current project's root-directory. Does Node implement something like ruby's property, Rails.root,. I'm looking for something that is constant, and reliable.

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33 Answers

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There are many ways to approach this, each with their own pros and cons:

require.main.filename

From :

When a file is run directly from Node, require.main is set to its module. That means that you can determine whether a file has been run directly by testing require.main === module

Because module provides a filename property (normally equivalent to __filename), the entry point of the current application can be obtained by checking require.main.filename.

So if you want the base directory for your app, you can do:

const { dirname } = require('path');
const appDir = dirname(require.main.filename);

Pros & Cons

This will work great most of the time, but if you're running your app with a launcher like pm2 or running mocha tests, this method will fail.

Chloe Bennett
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Chloe Bennett

Chloe Bennett explores the intersection of pop culture, streaming entertainment, digital trends, and contemporary lifestyle. Her weekly commentary reaches thousands of culture enthusiasts.