How to hash a file with Hasha?

Use the hashFile() method for asynchronous hashing or hashFileSync() for synchronous. Specify the file path and options like algorithm (default is SHA-512) and encoding (default is hex), as shown in the README examples.

Is Hasha good for password hashing?

No, Hasha uses fast cryptographic hashes like SHA-512, which are insecure for passwords due to lack of salting and key stretching. For passwords, opt for dedicated libraries like bcrypt or argon2.

Hasha vs native Node.js crypto module: which should I use?

Hasha offers a simpler API and worker thread optimizations for common tasks, making it more developer-friendly. However, the native crypto module provides broader algorithm support and direct control, so choose based on convenience versus flexibility.

How to abort a hashing operation in Hasha?

Pass an AbortSignal in the options when calling hash() or hashFile(). This allows cancellation mid-operation, useful for handling timeouts or user interrupts, as mentioned in the signal option documentation.

What's the best practice for hashing multiple files concurrently with Hasha?

Limit concurrency to os.availableParallelism() using a library like p-limit, as suggested in the README tip. This prevents system overload and ensures optimal performance when processing many files.

Does Hasha support streaming hashing for large datasets?

Yes, use the hashingStream() method to create a transform stream. Pipe data through it for incremental hashing, ideal for large files or network streams without loading everything into memory.

Open-Awesome

hasha

MITJavaScriptv7.0.0

A Node.js convenience wrapper for crypto hashing with simpler API, better defaults, and support for buffers, strings, streams, and files.

GitHub

959 stars34 forks0 contributors

What is hasha?

Hasha is a Node.js library that provides a simplified and optimized interface for cryptographic hashing operations. It wraps the native `crypto` module to offer easier methods for generating hashes from buffers, strings, streams, and files, with better defaults and performance considerations.

Target Audience

Node.js developers who need to perform hashing operations for data integrity, file verification, or checksum generation in their applications.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Hasha for its cleaner API, sensible defaults like SHA-512, support for multiple input types, and built-in optimizations like worker thread usage, which reduce the complexity and boilerplate of the native crypto module.

Overview

Hashing made simple. Get the hash of a buffer/string/stream/file.

Use Cases

Best For

Generating checksums for file integrity verification
Hashing large datasets or streams without blocking the main thread
Simplifying cryptographic operations in Node.js applications
Creating hash-based identifiers for caching or revving
Processing multiple files concurrently with controlled parallelism
Building CLI tools or scripts that require efficient hashing

Not Ideal For

Applications requiring modern hashing algorithms like SHA-3 or Blake2
Browser-based or cross-platform projects needing universal JavaScript support
Ultra-lightweight serverless functions where minimizing dependencies is paramount
Real-time systems where the overhead of worker threads for small tasks is unacceptable

Pros & Cons

Pros

Clean, Intuitive API

Provides straightforward methods like hash() and hashFile() with sensible defaults such as SHA-512, reducing the boilerplate of Node.js's native crypto module.

Worker Thread Optimization

Uses worker_threads for asynchronous operations to avoid blocking the main thread, improving performance for concurrent hashing tasks as detailed in the API section.

Versatile Input Support

Handles buffers, strings, arrays, streams, and files with performance tips, such as preferring buffers for speed and using arrays to avoid concatenation overhead.

File Hashing Simplified

Includes dedicated hashFile() and hashFileSync() methods for easy file integrity checks, eliminating the need for manual stream handling.

Cons

Limited Algorithm Selection

Only supports MD5, SHA1, SHA256, and SHA512, which are platform-dependent and exclude modern algorithms like SHA-3, as noted in the algorithm options.

Node.js Exclusive

Lacks browser support, restricting use to server-side environments, unlike related projects such as crypto-hash that work in both Node.js and browsers.

Worker Thread Overhead

The lazy spawning and persistent worker thread, while unrefed, adds unnecessary complexity for simple synchronous tasks where native crypto might be more efficient.

Frequently Asked Questions

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