Question

What are the differences between fs readFileSync and fs readFile?

I'm working with the fs module in Node.js and want to know the difference between readFileSync and readFile. Can someone explain their differences and when to use each one?

Answer 1

Feature	fs.readFileSync()	fs.readFile()
Nature	Synchronous (blocking)	Asynchronous (non-blocking)
Execution Blocking	Blocks the event loop, preventing other tasks from executing until the file is read	Does not block the event loop; other tasks can run while the file is being read
Usage	Useful when you need the file content immediately, or for small files where performance isn't a concern	Suitable for large files or when non-blocking behavior is essential
Error Handling	Throws errors directly (must use try...catch to handle errors)	Uses a callback that handles errors through the first argument
Return Value	Returns the file content directly (Buffer or string)	Returns the file content through a callback
Performance	Can slow down performance for large files since it blocks execution	More efficient for large files, allowing other operations to run during file reading