Question

I would like to read a very, very large file into a JavaScript array in node.js.

So, if the file is like this:

first line
two 
three
...
...

I would have the array:

['first line','two','three', ... , ... ] 

The function would look like this:

var array = load(filename); 

Therefore the idea of loading it all as a string and then splitting it is not acceptable.

Answer 1

If you can fit the final data into an array then wouldn’t you also be able to fit it in a string and split it, as has been suggested?
In any case if you would like to process the file one line at a time you can also try something like this:

var fs = require('fs');

function readLines(input, func) {
  var remaining = '';

  input.on('data', function(data) {
    remaining += data;
    var index = remaining.indexOf('\n');
    while (index > -1) {
      var line = remaining.substring(0, index);
      remaining = remaining.substring(index + 1);
      func(line);
      index = remaining.indexOf('\n');
    }
  });

  input.on('end', function() {
    if (remaining.length > 0) {
      func(remaining);
    }
  });
}

function func(data) {
  console.log('Line: ' + data);
}

var input = fs.createReadStream('lines.txt');
readLines(input, func);

EDIT: (in response to comment by phopkins) I think (at least in newer versions) substring does not copy data but creates a special SlicedString object (from a quick glance at the v8 source code). In any case here is a modification that avoids the mentioned substring (tested on a file several megabytes worth of “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”):

function readLines(input, func) {
  var remaining = '';

  input.on('data', function(data) {
    remaining += data;
    var index = remaining.indexOf('\n');
    var last  = 0;
    while (index > -1) {
      var line = remaining.substring(last, index);
      last = index + 1;
      func(line);
      index = remaining.indexOf('\n', last);
    }

    remaining = remaining.substring(last);
  });

  input.on('end', function() {
    if (remaining.length > 0) {
      func(remaining);
    }
  });
}