Vfs
Pluggable, extensible virtual file system for Go
Install / Use
/learn @C2FO/VfsREADME
Overview
vfs provides a unified interface for working with different storage backends (local OS, Azure, S3, GCS, SFTP, etc.) in a consistent way. Rather than handling each backend independently, you interact with a core set of interfaces that abstract backend details. This allows you to:
- Seamlessly read, write, and manage files across multiple storages.
- Treat remote or cloud-based paths as if they were local (e.g. using standard
io.Reader/io.Writerinterfaces). - Simplify environment-agnostic development by keeping most logic backend-agnostic.
- Plug in or mock storage functionality to facilitate testing and modular application design.
By focusing on FileSystem, Location, and File interfaces, you can build reusable flows for file operations without needing to deeply understand each backend's specific APIs. Users can add or swap backends as needed, providing flexibility for hybrid or evolving storage requirements.
Installation
go get -u github.com/c2fo/vfs/v7
Quick Start
package main
import (
"fmt"
"strings"
"io"
"log"
"github.com/c2fo/vfs/v7"
"github.com/c2fo/vfs/v7/vfssimple"
)
func main() {
// Create local OS file from a URI
osFile, err := vfssimple.NewFile("file:///tmp/example.txt")
if err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
defer osFile.Close()
// Write to the file
_, err = io.Copy(osFile, strings.NewReader("Hello from vfs!"))
if err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
if err := osFile.Close(); err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
fmt.Println("File created and written:", osFile.URI())
}
This snippet shows the basic setup: an osFile is created from a URI and written to using standard libraries.
Advanced Usage
-
See the GoDoc for deeper technical details, backend-specific options, and additional APIs.
-
Specialized operations like copying between S3 locations or advanced configs (e.g. Azure credentials) are documented in each backend doc.
Community Contributed Backends
These backends are maintained in contrib/backend/ as separate Go modules:
- Dropbox backend - Dropbox cloud storage
See contrib/backend/README.md for guidelines on contributing new backends.
Additional Tools
- lockfile: Provides distributed locking mechanisms using vfs backends.
- vfsevents: Production-ready file event monitoring with support for real-time notifications, retry logic, and multiple watcher types (VFS polling, S3 events, GCS events).
FAQ
Q: Why am I seeing an empty file when using io.Copy on some backends if my source is empty?
A: An empty Reader often means the backend doesn't write a file until data is actually written. Use utils.TouchCopy if you need to ensure a zero-byte file is created.
Q: Will vfs v6 still be supported? A: Yes and no. We will continue to provide security patches and bug fixes for v6, but new features and enhancements will be added to v7.
Q: How long will v6 be supported? A: We will support v6 until the next major release, v8, is released. Then v7 will be supported until v9 is released.
Upgrading
Upgrading from v6 to v7
Please review these changes and update your code accordingly to ensure compatibility with v7.
S3 Backend
The project now uses the aws-sdk-go-v2 library instead of the deprecated, EOL aws-sdk-go. This update necessitated
these changes to the S3 backend:
- The S3 backend's
s3fs.Client()function now returns ans3.Clientwhich is a subset of AWS's sdk v2 functionality. This change may require updates to your code if you were relying on client functionality not directly required by the s3 vfs backend. - The
Option.Retryfield is now anaws.Retryerinstead of arequest.Retry. Ensure that your Option logic is compatible with the new type.
Azure Backend
- Scheme for Azure has been updated from
httpstoaz. Update your code to use the new scheme. - Authority for Azure has been updated from
blob.core.windows.nettomy-container-name, such that the full URI isaz://my-blob-name/path/to/file.txtrather thanhttps://my-storage-account-name.core.windows.net/my-container-name/path/to/file.txt.
GS Backend
- The
Options.Retryfield, with the now deprecatedvfs.Retrytype, has been moved togs.FileSystemas the newgs.Retyertype. It is now set viags.NewFileSystemfunction using functional optiongs.WithRetryer. All previousvfs.Retryusage has been replaced withgs.WithRetryer. Update your code to use the newgs.WithRetryerfunctional option.
All Backends
Some methods in the Location and FileSystem interfaces have been deprecated because they use terminology that doesn't apply to all backends. They will be removed in a future release. Update your code to use the new methods. See #235.
location.Volume()method which returns the authority as a string has been deprecated in favor of thelocation.Authority()method which returns anauthority.Authoritystruct. Update your code to use theAuthority().String()method instead ofVolume().location.ChangeDir()method ash been deprecated in favor of the existinglocation.NewLocation()method. Update your code to use theNewLocation()method instead ofChangeDir().vfs.Optionsstruct has been deprecated in favor of using backend-specific structs.filesystem.Retry()method has been deprecated in favor of using backend-specific functional options, such asgs.WithRetryer.
Additionally, we have added functional option interface, FileSystemOption, to allow for more flexible configuration
of backends. This interface allows for more complex configuration options to be passed to the via the NewFileSystem function.
This will replace backend-specific chainable functions that require casting the filesystem to the backend type first. See #238.
Upgrading from v5 to v6
With v6, sftp.Options struct changed to accept an array of Key Exchange algorithms rather than a string. To update,
change the syntax of the auth commands.
"keyExchanges":"diffie-hellman-group-a256"
becomes
"keyExchanges":["diffie-hellman-group-a256"]
Contributing
- Fork it (
git clone https://github.com/c2fo/vfs.git) - Create your feature branch (
git checkout -b feature/fooBar) - Commit your changes (
git commit -am "Add some fooBar") - Push to the branch (
git push origin feature/fooBar) - Create a new Pull Request
License
Distributed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE.md file for details.
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