Local File Templates
readDir and readFile functions make it easy to traverse your project’s directory structure and write file contents to your templates.
Traverse Local Files
With Hugo’s
readDir
and
readFile
template functions, you can traverse your website’s files on your server.
Use readDir
The
readDir function
returns an array of
os.FileInfo
. It takes the file’s path as a single string argument. This path can be to any directory of your website (i.e., as found on your server’s file system).
Whether the path is absolute or relative does not matter because—at least for readDir—the root of your website (typically ./public/) in effect becomes both:
- The file system root
- The current working directory
Use readFile
The
readfile function
reads a file from disk and converts it into a string to be manipulated by other Hugo functions or added as-is. readFile takes the file, including path, as an argument passed to the function.
To use the readFile function in your templates, make sure the path is relative to your Hugo project’s root directory:
{{ readFile "/content/templates/local-file-templates" }}
readFile Example: Add a Project File to Content
As readFile is a function, it is only available to you in your templates and not your content. However, we can create a simple
shortcode template
that calls readFile, passes the first argument through the function, and then allows an optional second argument to send the file through the Blackfriday markdown processor. The pattern for adding this shortcode to your content will be as follows:
{{< readfile file="/path/to/local/file.txt" markdown="true" >}}