get-stdin

Get stdin as a string or Uint8Array

Install

npm install get-stdin

Usage

// example.js
import getStdin from 'get-stdin';

console.log(await getStdin());
//=> 'unicorns'

Run the script with piped input:

$ echo unicorns | node example.js
unicorns

Or run interactively by allowing TTY input and type input, then press Ctrl+D (Unix) or Ctrl+Z (Windows) to signal end of input:

// example.js
import getStdin from 'get-stdin';

console.log(await getStdin({allowTTY: true}));
//=> 'unicorns'

$ node example.js
unicorns
<Ctrl+D>
unicorns

API

Both methods return a promise that is resolved when the end event fires on the stdin stream, indicating that there is no more data to be read.

By default, in a TTY context the promise resolves with an empty string or Uint8Array. This avoids hanging CLIs that only want piped input and lets them fall back to other input methods. An empty string or Uint8Array means no input was read. To read from a TTY, set allowTTY: true and explicitly close stdin (Ctrl+D on Unix, Ctrl+Z on Windows).

getStdin(options?)

Get stdin as a string.

options

Type: object

allowTTY

Type: boolean
Default: false

Allow reading from a TTY.

Use this when you want interactive behavior like cat or other Unix filters that wait for EOF even without piped input. The default resolves immediately in a TTY to avoid hanging CLIs that only want piped input and lets them fall back to other input methods.

stdin

Type: Readable stream
Default: process.stdin

Stream to read from.

Useful for tests or to read from a custom stream.

getStdin.buffer(options?)

Get stdin as a Uint8Array.

options

Type: object

allowTTY

Type: boolean
Default: false

Allow reading from a TTY.

Use this when you want interactive behavior like cat or other Unix filters that wait for EOF even without piped input. The default resolves immediately in a TTY to avoid hanging CLIs that only want piped input and lets them fall back to other input methods.

stdin

Type: Readable stream
Default: process.stdin

Stream to read from.

Useful for tests or to read from a custom stream.

Tip

You can now accomplish this natively in Node.js using streamConsumers.text() or streamConsumers.buffer():

// example.js
import {text} from 'node:stream/consumers';

console.log(await text(process.stdin))
//=> 'unicorns'

$ echo unicorns | node example.js
unicorns

Related

• get-stream - Get a stream as a string or buffer