Node async & recursive dir remove

node-remove-dir.js

"use strict";
var path = require("path"),
    fs = require("fs");
    
module.exports = (function(){
  
  /**
     * recursively remove the fs structure starting from (and including) the path given in dirToRemove
     * @param dirToRemove
     *                  the path to remove 
     * @param callback
     *                  will be called when all operations are done successfully or when an error occurs
     */
  return function removeDir(dirToRemove, callback) {

        var dirList = [];
        var fileList = [];

        function flattenDeleteLists(fsPath, callback) {

            fs.lstat(fsPath, function (err, stats) {

                if (err) {
                    callback(err);
                    return;
                }

                if (stats.isDirectory()) {

                    dirList.unshift(fsPath);  //add to our list of dirs to delete after we're done exploring for files

                    fs.readdir(fsPath, function (err, files) {

                        if (err) {
                            callback(err);
                            return;
                        }

                        var currentTotal = files.length;

                        var checkCounter = function (err) {
                            if (currentTotal < 1 || err) {
                                callback(err);
                            }
                        };

                        if (files.length > 0) {
                            files.forEach(function (f) {
                                flattenDeleteLists(path.join(fsPath, f), function (err) {
                                    currentTotal -= 1;
                                    checkCounter(err);
                                });
                            });
                        }

                        checkCounter(); //make sure we bubble the callbacks all the way out
                    });
                }
                else {
                    fileList.unshift(fsPath); //add to our list of files to delete after we're done exploring for files
                    callback();
                }
            });
        }

        function removeItemsList(list, rmMethod, callback) {

            var count = list.length;

            if (count === 0){
                callback();
                return;
            }
            
            list.forEach(function (file) {
                fs[rmMethod](file, function (err) {
                    count -= 1;
                    if (count < 1 || err) {
                        callback(err);
                    }
                });
            });
        }

        function onFinishedFlattening(err) {

            if (err) {
                callback(err);
                return;
            }

            removeItemsList(fileList, "unlink", function (err) {//done exploring folders without errors
                if (err) {
                    callback(err);
                    return;
                }

                removeItemsList(dirList, "rmdir", function (err) { //done deleting files without errors
                    callback(err);  //done
                });
            });
        }

        flattenDeleteLists(dirToRemove, onFinishedFlattening);
    };
})();

sampleUse.js

var removeDir = require("./node-remove-dir");

var startTime = Date.now();

removeDir("/tmp/test1", function (err) {

    console.log("finished! in " + (Date.now() - startTime) + " ms - ", err);
});

you must delete dirs after all files deleted.
you may attempt to delete a dir before deleting it's content.