Beginner LevelNode JS
What is the Node.js global object and what built-in properties exist (process, __dirname, __filename, globalThis)?
❓ Interview Prompt: Explain global object, globalThis, process object, __dirname, __filename, import.meta.url in ESM, and global variables.
In Node.js, 'global' (or standard 'globalThis') is the root global namespace object (equivalent to 'window' in browsers):
Key Built-in Globals:
•
'process': Provides information and control over the current Node.js process.
•
'__dirname' & '__filename': Absolute directory and file path in CommonJS.
•
'import.meta.url': File URL in ES Modules (use 'fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)' for paths).
Code Implementation Example
javascript
import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
import path from 'node:path';
// ESM equivalent of __dirname and __filename
const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);
console.log('Process PID:', process.pid);
console.log('Node Version:', process.version);
console.log('Current Dir:', __dirname);💡Accessing Node.js process metrics and file paths in ESM.
🎯 Interview Key Takeaway
Use process for process metadata, and import.meta.url in ES Modules to resolve absolute directory paths.
#global#process#__dirname#import.meta#Beginner
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