ASYNC / AWAIT SyntaxError: await is only valid in async functions and the top level bodies of modules

Question

I am doing some really simple testing regarding reading csv files into a json format using the csvtojson node module, I used the code below as a template

a,b,c
1,2,3
4,5,6
*/
const csvFilePath='<path to csv file>'
const csv=require('csvtojson')
csv()
.fromFile(csvFilePath)
.then((jsonObj)=>{
    console.log(jsonObj);
    /**
     * [
     *  {a:"1", b:"2", c:"3"},
     *  {a:"4", b:"5". c:"6"}
     * ]
     */ 
})
 
// Async / await usage
const jsonArray=await csv().fromFile(csvFilePath);

I am mostly focusing on the

// Async / await usage

const jsonArray=await csv().fromFile(csvFilePath);

Section of the code. Right so here is my code

// const JSONtoCSV = require("json2csv")
// const FileSystem = require("fs")

async function test()
{
    const data = await CSVtoJSON().fromFile('./input.csv')
    return data
}

let temp = await test()

console.log(temp)

and ever which way I have tried it I always get the following error

let temp = await test()
           ^^^^^

SyntaxError: await is only valid in async functions and the top level bodies of modules
    at Object.compileFunction (node:vm:352:18)
    at wrapSafe (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1031:15)
    at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1065:27)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1153:10)
    at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:981:32)
    at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:822:12)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:79:12)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:17:47

or

const data = await CSVtoJSON().fromFile('./input.csv');
             ^^^^^

SyntaxError: await is only valid in async functions and the top level bodies of modules
    at Object.compileFunction (node:vm:352:18)
    at wrapSafe (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1031:15)
    at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1065:27)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1153:10)
    at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:981:32)
    at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:822:12)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:79:12)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:17:47

if I switch the code to be all top level like so

const CSVtoJSON = require("csvtojson")
// const JSONtoCSV = require("json2csv")
// const FileSystem = require("fs")

const data = await CSVtoJSON().fromFile('./input.csv')

console.log(data)

I can't see why this isn't working.

EDIT: I made the change as @tasobu noted. Now all I get is a returned promise

const data = (async () => {
    return await CSVtoJSON().fromFile('./input.csv')
})

console.log(data)

Debugger attached.
Promise { <pending> }
Waiting for the debugger to disconnect...

Answer 1

You can use an IIFE here (Read more about it here)

(async function main () {
    // You can use await inside this function block
})();