Node Js Axios Download File Stream And Writefile

Node.js is a powerful tool for web developers, offering a wide range of functionalities to create innovative and efficient applications. One essential feature often needed in projects is downloading files from the internet and saving them locally. In this guide, we will show you how to use Node.js with the Axios library to download a file as a stream and write it to the filesystem.

Setting Up Axios and Node.js:

To begin, make sure you have Node.js installed on your system. If not, head to the official Node.js website, download the installer, and follow the installation instructions.

Next, create a new Node.js project or navigate to an existing one where you want to add the file downloading functionality. Open your terminal and install the Axios library by running the following command:

npm install axios

This command will download and set up Axios in your project, allowing you to make HTTP requests easily.

Downloading a File Using Axios:

To download a file using Axios, you need to make a GET request to the URL of the file you want to download. Here's a simple example code snippet to demonstrate this:

const axios = require('axios');
const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');

const url = 'https://www.example.com/sample-file.pdf';
const downloadPath = path.resolve(__dirname, 'downloads', 'sample-file.pdf');

axios({
  method: 'get',
  url: url,
  responseType: 'stream'
}).then(response => {
  const writer = fs.createWriteStream(downloadPath);
  response.data.pipe(writer);

  writer.on('finish', () => {
    console.log('File downloaded successfully!');
  });

}).catch(error => {
  console.error('Error downloading file:', error);
});

In this code snippet, we are making a GET request to the specified URL with Axios, setting the response type to 'stream' for efficient streaming of the file content. The file is then saved locally using Node.js's file system module.

Testing the File Download:

After running the code snippet, you should see a new file named 'sample-file.pdf' in the 'downloads' directory of your project. You can modify the URL and download path according to your requirements.

Remember to handle errors gracefully and add appropriate error handling in your code to ensure a robust file downloading process.

By following these steps and understanding how to leverage Node.js and Axios, you can easily download files from the web and write them to the filesystem in your projects. Experiment with different file types and URLs to expand your knowledge further!

That's it! You are now equipped with the knowledge to download files using Node.js and Axios efficiently. Happy coding!