gistfile1.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

var fs = require('fs')
  , Path = require('path');

// Merge two objects together into the first one
function merge (object, otherObject) {
  var obj = object || {}
    , otherObj = otherObject || {}
    , key, value;

  for (key in otherObj) {
    value = otherObj[key];

    // Check if a value is an Object, if so recursively add it's key/values
    if (typeof value === 'object' && !(value instanceof Array)) {
      // Update value of object to the one from otherObj
      obj[key] = merge(obj[key], value);
    }
    // Value is anything other than an Object, so just add it
    else {
      obj[key] = value;
    }
  }

  return obj;
};

// Create a path, if it's a file can include content, otherwise
// just makes a directory
function writePath (path, content) {
  var p = Path.normalize(path);

  if (fs.existsSync(p)) {
    return;
  }
  if (!content) {
    content = '';
  }
  var type = 'directory';

  if (Path.extname(p)) {
    type = 'file';
  }

  switch (type) {
    case 'directory':
      fs.mkdirSync(p);
      break;
    case 'file':
      fs.writeFileSync(p, content, 'utf8');
      break;
  }
}

// Generates a tree for the given path
// The structure should look like:
// {
//   "/path/to/file.txt": "contents"
//   "/path/to/dir": {
//     "/path/to/dir/file.txt": "contents",
//     "/path/to/dir/another_dir": {
//       "/path/to/dir/another_dir/file.txt": "contents"
//     }
//   }
// }
function genPathTree (path) {
  var p = Path.normalize(path);

  if (!fs.existsSync(p)) {
    return {};
  }
  var stat = fs.statSync(p)
    , tree = {};

  // If path is a directory then recursively add it's contents
  if (stat.isDirectory()) {
    var contents = fs.readdirSync(p)
      , i = contents.length
      , childPath;

    while (--i >= 0) {
      childPath = Path.join(p, contents[i]);

      tree[p] = merge(tree[p], genPathTree(childPath));
    }
  }
  // If path is a file read the content and add it
  else if (stat.isFile()) {
    tree[p] = fs.readFileSync(p, 'utf8');
  }

  return tree;
}

// Write the generated tree's files recursively replacing original source
// paths with the correct destination path
function writePathTree (tree, source, destination) {
  var stat = {}
    , key, value;

  for (key in tree) {
    value = tree[key];
    stat = fs.statSync(key);
    // Replace the original source for the destination
    key = key.replace(source, destination);

    if (stat.isDirectory()) {
      // Do something
      if (!fs.existsSync(key)) {
        fs.mkdirSync(key);
      }
      writePathTree(value, source, destination);
    }
    else if (stat.isFile()) {
      fs.writeFileSync(key, value, 'utf8');
    }
  }
}

// Recursively copy files and directories
function copy (source, destination) {
  var from = Path.normalize(source)
    , to = Path.normalize(destination)
    , fromTree = {};

  console.log('cp -r ' + from + ' ' + to);

  if (from == to) {
    return;
  }

  // If the source path doesn't exist we can't copy
  if (!fs.existsSync(from)) {
    throw new Error("ENOENT, no such file or directory '" + from + "'");
  }

  // Generate tree for the source path
  fromTree = genPathTree(from, to);

  writePathTree(fromTree, from, to);
}

// Create files and directories
writePath('test_file.txt', 'sdfsdfsdfsdfasdfkhasdfkjhasdfkjhk');
writePath('test_dir');
writePath('test_dir/base_file.txt', 'omgomgomgmg text');
writePath('test_dir/base_dir');
writePath('test_dir/base_sdfsdffile.txt', 'omgomgomgmg text');
writePath('test_dir/base_dsdfsdfsdfir');
writePath('test_dir/base_dsdfsdfsdfir/base_sdfsdffile.txt', 'omgomgomgmg text');
writePath('test_dir/base_dsdfsdfsdfir/omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg');
writePath('test_dir/base_dsdfsdfsdfir/omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg/hey_there.txt');
writePath('test_dir/base_dir/nested_file.txt', 'sdfsdfsdfsdfsdf');
writePath('test_dir/base_dir_second');
writePath('test_dir/base_dir_second/nested_file.txt', 'sdfsdfsdfsdfsdf');
writePath('test_dir/base_dir/nested_dir');
writePath('test_dir/base_dir/nested_dir/nested_file_again.txt', 'sdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdfsdf');

copy('test_file.txt', 'test_file_copy.txt');
copy('test_dir', 'test_dir_copy');