Trouble running node to test Web3

Question

I'm trying to test basic web3 with node. I have testrpc running and I have the following in a javascript file:

var Web3 = require('web3');

var web3 = new Web3(new Web3.providers.HttpProvider("http://localhost:8545"));

console.log(web3.eth.accounts[0]);

When I run node filename.js it returns undefined. Why is that?

When I change web3.eth.accounts[0] to web3.eth.accounts I get this :

Accounts {
currentProvider: [Getter/Setter],
_requestManager:
 RequestManager {
 provider: HttpProvider { host: 'http://localhost:8545', timeout: 0, connected: false },
 providers:
  { WebsocketProvider: [Function: WebsocketProvider],
    HttpProvider: [Function: HttpProvider],
    IpcProvider: [Function: IpcProvider] },
 subscriptions: {} },
givenProvider: null,
providers:
{ WebsocketProvider: [Function: WebsocketProvider],
 HttpProvider: [Function: HttpProvider],
 IpcProvider: [Function: IpcProvider] },
_provider: HttpProvider { host: 'http://localhost:8545', timeout: 0, connected: false },
setProvider: [Function],
_ethereumCall:
{ getId:
  { [Function: send]
    method: [Object],
    request: [Function: bound ],
    call: 'net_version' },
 getGasPrice:
  { [Function: send]
    method: [Object],
    request: [Function: bound ],
    call: 'eth_gasPrice' },
 getTransactionCount:
  { [Function: send]
    method: [Object],
    request: [Function: bound ],
    call: 'eth_getTransactionCount' } },
wallet:
Wallet {
 _accounts: [Circular],
 length: 0,
 defaultKeyName: 'web3js_wallet' } }

Answer 1

Does the async call work?

web3.eth.getAccounts((error, result) => {
  if (result && result.length > 0) {
    console.log(result[0]);
  }
  else {
    console.error("Error: ", error);
  }
}

Also be sure to double check that you didn't start testrpc on another port and that it's up and listening (I've had the process die on me more than once without noticing).