How Can I Download Files in Node.js Without Using Third-Party Libraries?

Non-Third-Party File Downloading in Node.js

For Node.js users seeking to download files without leveraging third-party libraries, several methods are available.

Using the Fetch API (Node 18 ):

Starting with Node 18, the built-in fetch API enables straightforward file downloading. The API offers several methods for working directly with the download result, including plaintext, JSON-converted data, and binary data.

Creating an HTTP GET Request:

For older Node versions, an HTTP GET request can be used. The response from this request is then piped into a writable file stream.

const http = require('http'); // or 'https' for https:// URLs
const fs = require('fs');

const file = fs.createWriteStream("file.jpg");
const request = http.get("http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/J---aiyznGQ/mqdefault.jpg", function(response) {
   response.pipe(file);

   // After download completed close filestream
   file.on("finish", () => {
       file.close();
       console.log("Download Completed");
   });
});

Additional Features:

To enhance the command-line capabilities of your file downloading script, consider integrating a library like Commander. This tool allows you to specify target files, directories, and URLs.

For a more in-depth explanation of these methods, refer to the detailed guide at https://sebhastian.com/nodejs-download-file/.

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