Platform-specific integration
Select platform-specific paths or commands when an application must integrate with the host operating system.
Node.js · Pipe
process.platform
process.platform is a read-only string identifying the operating-system platform for which the Node.js binary was compiled. Common values include linux, darwin, win32, and other documented platform identifiers.
- Since
- v0.1.16
How it works
Read-only string property that identifies the operating-system platform for which the Node.js binary was compiled. Access it directly through the global process object, or import platform from node:process.
Syntax
process.platformReturns
string
Key points
- The property’s result is a string containing a platform identifier.
- The identifier describes the operating-system target used to compile the Node.js binary.
- The documentation defines a set of currently possible platform identifiers.
- Documented identifiers include aix, darwin, freebsd, and linux.
- The documented list also includes openbsd, sunos, and win32.
- The imported platform binding can be interpolated into a message and printed.
Common mistakes
- Android can be returned as an additional platform value when Node.js is built for Android.
- Do not assume Android support has the same stability guarantees as the other documented platform values.
Example: Read the current platform
console.log(`This platform is ${process.platform}`);Prints the platform identifier reported by the running Node.js process.
When to use it
Environment diagnostics
Add diagnostic output that records the runtime platform alongside application logs.
Conditional behavior
Choose a supported implementation when behavior differs between Windows and Unix-like systems.
Interview questions
QWhat does process.platform return?
process.platform is a string property that identifies the operating-system platform for which the Node.js binary was compiled. Typical values include linux, darwin, win32, freebsd, aix, openbsd, and sunos.
Follow-up: How can code access it without relying on the global? Import platform from node:process, then use that binding instead of process.platform.
QWhat type does process.platform have, and what does it describe?
It returns a string rather than an enum or numeric code. The value describes the platform associated with the Node.js binary, so applications can use it when selecting platform-specific behavior.
Follow-up: What additional value may occur? Android may be returned for an Android build, but its Node.js support is experimental.
QHow would you use process.platform in an application?
Use the property directly, for example process.platform, and compare it with documented identifiers such as 'win32' or 'linux'. The documentation also demonstrates importing platform from node:process.
Follow-up: Why should platform checks be narrowly scoped? Because behavior should be selected only where platform differences matter, while the identifier itself should not be treated as a general feature-detection mechanism.
Related
processprocess.archnode:process