Question 1

How to create a temporary file in Node.js that deletes automatically?

Accepted Answer

Use `tmp.file()` without the `keep` option, and call `setGracefulCleanup()` to enable automatic removal on process exit. The README shows examples where files are cleaned up unless manually retained.

Question 2

Tmp vs fs.mkdtemp in Node.js: which should I use?

Accepted Answer

Tmp offers more features like automatic cleanup, customizable naming, and both async/sync APIs, while fs.mkdtemp is a built-in but basic alternative. Choose Tmp for advanced control; use fs.mkdtemp for simple, no-dependency temp directories.

Question 3

How to handle temporary directories with files inside using Tmp?

Accepted Answer

Enable the `unsafeCleanup` option when creating a directory with `tmp.dir()` to force recursive deletion even if it's not empty. Otherwise, tmp won't remove non-empty directories on cleanup.

Question 4

Does Tmp work with async/await without callbacks?

Accepted Answer

Not natively; you need to promisify the callbacks yourself or use the separate `tmp-promise` package. The README references tmp-promise as the recommended way for promise-based usage.

Question 5

How to change the default temporary directory location in Tmp?

Accepted Answer

Use the `tmpdir` option to override the system's root tmp directory. Ensure the path is valid and writable, as tmp won't create missing directories, per the options section.

Question 6

What happens if Tmp runs out of unique filenames?

Accepted Answer

Tmp retries name generation up to the `tries` option (default 3) before throwing an error. You can increase this limit, but collisions are rare due to crypto-based random naming.

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