chokidar
A minimal and efficient cross-platform file watching library for Node.js, improving upon native fs.watch.
What is chokidar?
Chokidar is a minimal and efficient cross-platform file watching library for Node.js that provides a reliable and normalized API for monitoring file and directory changes. It solves the inconsistencies and limitations of Node.js's native `fs.watch` and `fs.watchFile` by offering consistent event reporting across macOS, Windows, and Linux. The library is essential for build tools, development servers, and applications requiring real-time file updates.
Node.js developers building tools like bundlers, development servers, or any application that needs to react to file system changes in real time, especially those who need reliable cross-platform behavior. It is also suitable for developers working with network drives or editors that use atomic writes.
Developers choose Chokidar over native Node.js file watching because it normalizes events across operating systems, avoids duplicate events, and provides reliable filenames. Its unique selling points include support for atomic writes, chunked writes with configurable options, flexible filtering, and always-available recursive watching with performance optimizations that minimize CPU usage.
Overview
Minimal and efficient cross-platform file watching library
Use Cases
Best For
Related Projects
Found a gem we're missing?
Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.
