FileOperate icon

FileOperate

File system operations for files and directories

Overview

This node performs various file system operations on files and directories. The "Clean Empty Directories" operation specifically removes empty directories from a specified path, optionally processing subdirectories recursively. This is useful for maintaining tidy directory structures by automatically deleting folders that no longer contain any files or subfolders.

Practical examples include:

  • Cleaning up temporary or cache folders after file processing workflows.
  • Removing empty folders left behind after moving or deleting files.
  • Automating maintenance tasks in file management pipelines.

Properties

Name Meaning
Directory Path The path of the directory where empty directories should be cleaned.
Recursive Whether to process subdirectories recursively (true) or only the top-level directory (false).

Output

The output JSON contains the original input data merged with a success field indicating whether the cleaning operation was successful (true). For each input item, the node returns an object like:

{
  "...originalInputFields": "...",
  "success": true
}

No binary data is produced by this operation.

Dependencies

  • No external services or API keys are required.
  • The node relies on local file system access permissions to read and delete directories.
  • It uses internal helper functions to perform the directory cleaning asynchronously.

Troubleshooting

  • Common issues:

    • Insufficient permissions to delete directories may cause errors.
    • Specifying an incorrect or non-existent directory path will result in failure.
    • If recursive is set to false, only the top-level directory is checked, so nested empty directories remain.
  • Error messages:

    • Errors related to file system access (e.g., "Permission denied") indicate the node lacks rights to modify the target directory.
    • "Directory not found" or similar indicates an invalid path parameter.
  • Resolutions:

    • Ensure the node runs with appropriate file system permissions.
    • Verify the directory path exists and is accessible.
    • Use the recursive option if you want to clean empty directories at all levels.

Links and References

Discussion