File Pluck

0.6.5 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript

A Node.js library for extracting text snippets from files or strings using customizable delimiters. Version 0.6.5 is the latest stable release. The library returns snippets as strings or can break them into key/value pairs with optional JSON output. It uses a Promise-based API and supports glob patterns for file matching. Unlike simple grep or regex solutions, file-pluck provides built-in objectification and JSON serialization, making it suitable for documentation generation and structured data extraction from annotated code or markup.

Common errors

error TypeError: filePluck.pluckFile is not a function ↓

cause Calling pluckFile as a static method instead of an instance method.

fix

const p = filePluck(); then p.pluckFile('file.txt')

error ReferenceError: require is not defined ↓

cause Attempting to use require in an ES module environment.

fix

Use dynamic import or configure your project for CommonJS.

error Cannot find module 'file-pluck' ↓

cause Package not installed or missing from node_modules.

fix

Run: npm install file-pluck

Warnings

gotcha filePluck() must be called to create an instance; methods like pluckFile and objectify are not static. ↓

fix Use const p = filePluck(); then call p.pluckFile() or p.objectify()

breaking The API no longer returns a promise directly from require; you must instantiate. ↓

fix Update code to call filePluck() before using methods.

deprecated Some users expect ES module import; package only provides CommonJS. ↓

fix Use require() or set up bundler to handle CJS.

gotcha Glob patterns are supported but not documented; may cause unexpected matching. ↓

fix Test glob patterns carefully; use simple file paths when possible.

Install

npm install file-pluck

yarn add file-pluck

pnpm add file-pluck

Imports

default
wrong
```
import filePluck from 'file-pluck'
```
correct
```
const filePluck = require('file-pluck')
```
file-pluck uses CommonJS, not ESM. No default export exists for ES modules.
pluckFile
wrong
```
filePluck.pluckFile('file.txt')
```
correct
```
const p = filePluck(); p.pluckFile('file.txt')
```
pluckFile is an instance method, not a static method. You must call filePluck() first.

objectify

wrong

filePluck.objectify(snippets)

correct

const p = filePluck(); p.objectify(snippets)

objectify is an instance method, not a static method.

Quickstart

Demonstrates basic usage: creating an instance with default options, plucking snippets from a file, and logging results.

const filePluck = require('file-pluck');

// Create an instance with default delimiters (opening: '/***', closing: '***/')
const p = filePluck();

// Pluck snippets from a file
p.pluckFile('example.txt')
  .then(snippets => {
    console.log('Snippets:', snippets);
    // Output: ['pluck this text', 'pluck this text too']
  })
  .catch(err => {
    console.error('Error:', err);
  });