Chapter 1: Getting Started

Chapter 2: Using Atom

Chapter 3: Hacking Atom

Chapter 4: Behind Atom

Reference: API

Appendix A: Resources

Glossary

Appendix B: FAQ

Appendix C: Shadow DOM

Removing Shadow DOM styles

Appendix D: Upgrading to 1.0 APIs

Appendix E: Atom server-side APIs

mac

windows

linux

File Extended

Represents an individual file that can be watched, read from, and written to.

Construction

::constructor(filePath, symlink)

Configures a new File instance, no files are accessed.

Argument	Description
`filePath`	A String containing the absolute path to the file
`symlink`	optional A Boolean indicating if the path is a symlink (default: false).

::create()

Creates the file on disk that corresponds to ::getPath() if no such file already exists.

Return values
Returns a Promise that resolves once the file is created on disk. It resolves to a boolean value that is true if the file was created or false if it already existed.

Event Subscription

::onDidChange(callback)

Invoke the given callback when the file’s contents change.

Argument	Description
`callback`	Function to be called when the file’s contents change.

Return values
Returns a Disposable on which `.dispose()` can be called to unsubscribe.

::onDidRename(callback)

Invoke the given callback when the file’s path changes.

Argument	Description
`callback`	Function to be called when the file’s path changes.

Return values
Returns a Disposable on which `.dispose()` can be called to unsubscribe.

::onDidDelete(callback)

Invoke the given callback when the file is deleted.

Argument	Description
`callback`	Function to be called when the file is deleted.

Return values
Returns a Disposable on which `.dispose()` can be called to unsubscribe.

::onWillThrowWatchError(callback)

Invoke the given callback when there is an error with the watch. When your callback has been invoked, the file will have unsubscribed from the file watches.

Argument	Description
`callback`	Function callback
`errorObject`	Object
`error`	Object the error object
`handle`	Function call this to indicate you have handled the error. The error will not be thrown if this function is called.

File Metadata

::isFile()

Return values
Returns a Boolean, always true.

::isDirectory()

Return values
Returns a Boolean, always false.

::isSymbolicLink()

Return values
Returns a Boolean indicating whether or not this is a symbolic link

::exists()

Return values
Returns a promise that resolves to a Boolean, true if the file exists, false otherwise.

::existsSync()

Return values
Returns a Boolean, true if the file exists, false otherwise.

::getDigest()

Get the SHA-1 digest of this file

Return values
Returns a promise that resolves to a String.

::getDigestSync()

Get the SHA-1 digest of this file

Return values
Returns a String.

::setEncoding(encoding)

Sets the file’s character set encoding name.

Argument	Description
`encoding`	The String encoding to use (default: ‘utf8’)

::getEncoding()

Return values
Returns the String encoding name for this file (default: ‘utf8’).

Managing Paths

::getPath()

Return values
Returns the String path for the file.

::getRealPathSync()

Return values
Returns this file’s completely resolved String path.

::getRealPath()

Return values
Returns a promise that resolves to the file’s completely resolved String path.

::getBaseName()

Return the String filename without any directory information.

Traversing

::getParent()

Return the Directory that contains this file.

Reading and Writing

::read(flushCache)

Reads the contents of the file.

Argument	Description
`flushCache`	A Boolean indicating whether to require a direct read or if a cached copy is acceptable.

Return values
Returns a promise that resolves to either a String, or null if the file does not exist.

::createReadStream()

Return values
Returns a stream to read the content of the file.
Returns a ReadStream object.

::write(text)

Overwrites the file with the given text.

Argument	Description
`text`	The String text to write to the underlying file.

Return values
Returns a Promise that resolves when the file has been written.

::createWriteStream()

Return values
Returns a stream to write content to the file.
Returns a WriteStream object.

::writeSync(text)

Overwrites the file with the given text.

Argument	Description
`text`	The String text to write to the underlying file.

Return values
Returns undefined.