I am trying to append a string to the log file. But writeFile erases the contents every time it writes a string.

fs.writeFile('log.txt', 'Hello Node', function (err) {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log('It\'s saved!');
}); // => message.txt erased, contains only 'Hello Node'

How can any idea do this in a simple way?

#1 building

For an occasional append, you can use appendFile, which creates a new file handle each time it is called:

Asynchronously :

const fs = require('fs');

fs.appendFile('message.txt', 'data to append', function (err) {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log('Saved!');
});

synchronization :

const fs = require('fs');

fs.appendFileSync('message.txt', 'data to append');

However, if you repeatedly append to the same file, it is better to Reuse file handle .

#2 building

fd = fs.openSync(path.join(process.cwd(), 'log.txt'), 'a')
fs.writeSync(fd, 'contents to append')
fs.closeSync(fd)

#3 building

Node.js 0.8 has fs.appendFile:

fs.appendFile('message.txt', 'data to append', (err) => {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log('The "data to append" was appended to file!');
});

Documentation

#4 building

This is the complete script. Fill in the filename and run it, it should work! This is about the logic behind the script Video tutorial .

var fs = require('fs');

function ReadAppend(file, appendFile){
  fs.readFile(appendFile, function (err, data) {
    if (err) throw err;
    console.log('File was read');

    fs.appendFile(file, data, function (err) {
      if (err) throw err;
      console.log('The "data to append" was appended to file!');

    });
  });
}
// edit this with your file names
file = 'name_of_main_file.csv';
appendFile = 'name_of_second_file_to_combine.csv';
ReadAppend(file, appendFile);

#5 building

You need to open it and write it.

var fs = require('fs'), str = 'string to append to file';
fs.open('filepath', 'a', 666, function( e, id ) {
  fs.write( id, 'string to append to file', null, 'utf8', function(){
    fs.close(id, function(){
      console.log('file closed');
    });
  });
});

Here are some links to help explain the parameters

open
write
shut

Edit: this answer is no longer valid. Please check the new fs.appendFile Method.