Can't parse json with node.js

Question

I am a node.js beginner and I am trying to read a json file, but when I\'m running \'npm start\' in the terminal I get this error:

undefined:3462

SyntaxError: U         


        

Answer 1

readFile is the asynchronous version. You should either just use readFileSync, or rewrite it to be properly asynchronous.

console.log('analoc request');

var fs = require('fs');

 fs.readFile('./files/sample_data.json', function(err,config){
console.log('Config: ' + JSON.parse(config));
});

Or:

var config = fs.readFileSync('./files/sample_data.json');
console.log('Config: ' + JSON.parse(config));

Answer 2

readFile doesn't have a return value. You are trying to parse "undefined" as if it were JSON. The file is passed to the callback function after it has been read.

fs.readFile('./files/sample_data.json', function (err, data) {
    if (err) throw err;
    var config = JSON.parse(data);
    console.log('Config: ', config);
});