How to bundle the json files that lowdb or node-json-db depends on?

[awdr74100]

Consider the following:

{
  "pkg": {
    "assets": "./db.json",
    "targets": ["node20-win-x64"],
    "outputPath": "out"
  } 
}

The db.json file here is indeed bundled into the .exe file, and it is also normal to read and write through the code when running, I would like to ask whether this is a normal behavior? So the db.json file is bundled into the .exe file instead of possibly adding a file somewhere on the system and manipulating it.

Sorry for the weird question, but I do expect the db.json file to be bundled into the .exe file, and the db.json file in the .exe file to still be read and written, At first, I just wondered if the db.json in the .exe file could still be written to via lowdb and node-json-db? This means to perform normal fs module operations.

The question is whether the bundled json file can be written through a module such as fs? I thought that after all files were bundled into .exe, no writing modification operation could be carried out, please forgive me for the unfamiliarity of the binding behavior, thank you for anyone's help!

[robertsLando]

@awdr74100 If you need to read/write a file you need to have it outside the bundle. The alternative is to bundle it inside the exe, check if it's present in a defined "storage" directory by your choice and if not copy it there so you can read/write it as you prefer

[awdr74100]

@robertsLando Thank you very much for your quick reply! So I can put db.json in the user's home directory or a directory in the same location as the .exe file, and the bundled code will access the db.json in this location. Do I understand this correctly?

It seems that most applications are designed in this way. The .exe file is only used as a program to access external databases or resources. For example, sqlite.db or lowdb.json are external resources.

[robertsLando]

@robertsLando Thank you very much for your quick reply! So I can put db.json in the user's home directory or a directory in the same location as the .exe file, and the bundled code will access the db.json in this location. Do I understand this correctly?

Yes exactly