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# Standard library header <filesystem>

From cppreference.com
< cpp‎ | header

This header is part of the filesystem support library.

Defined in namespace `filesystem`
### Classes
path (C++17) | represents a path (class) [edit]
filesystem_error (C++17) | an exception thrown on file system errors (class) [edit]
directory_entry (C++17) | a directory entry (class) [edit]
directory_iterator (C++17) | an iterator to the contents of the directory (class) [edit]
recursive_directory_iterator (C++17) | an iterator to the contents of a directory and its subdirectories (class) [edit]
file_status (C++17) | represents file type and permissions (class) [edit]
space_info (C++17) | information about free and available space on the filesystem (class) [edit]
file_type (C++17) | the type of a file (enum) [edit]
perms (C++17) | identifies file system permissions (enum) [edit]
copy_options (C++17) | specifies semantics of copy operations (enum) [edit]
directory_options (C++17) | options for iterating directory contents (enum) [edit]
file_time_type (C++17) | represents file time values (typedef) [edit]
### Functions
u8path (C++17) | creates a `path` from a UTF-8 encoded source (function) [edit]
absolute system_complete (C++17)(C++17) | composes an absolute path converts a path to an absolute path replicating OS-specific behavior (function) [edit]
canonical weakly_canonical (C++17) | composes a canonical path (function) [edit]
relative proximate (C++17) | composes a relative path (function) [edit]
copy (C++17) | copies files or directories (function) [edit]
copy_file (C++17) | copies file contents (function) [edit]
copy_symlink (C++17) | copies a symbolic link (function) [edit]
create_directory create_directories (C++17)(C++17) | creates new directory (function) [edit]
create_hard_link (C++17) | creates a hard link (function) [edit]
create_symlink create_directory_symlink (C++17)(C++17) | creates a symbolic link (function) [edit]
current_path (C++17) | return current working directory (function) [edit]
exists (C++17) | checks whether path refers to existing file system object (function) [edit]
equivalent (C++17) | checks whether two paths refer to the same file system object (function) [edit]
file_size (C++17) | returns the size of a file (function) [edit]
hard_link_count (C++17) | returns the number of hard links referring to the specific file (function) [edit]
last_write_time (C++17) | gets or sets the time of the last data modification (function) [edit]
permissions (C++17) | modifies file access permissions (function) [edit]
read_symlink (C++17) | obtains the target of a symbolic link (function) [edit]
remove remove_all (C++17)(C++17) | removes a file or empty directory removes a file or directory and all its contents, recursively (function) [edit]
rename (C++17) | moves or renames a file or directory (function) [edit]
resize_file (C++17) | changes the size of a regular file by truncation or zero-fill (function) [edit]
space (C++17) | determines available free space on the file system (function) [edit]
status symlink_status (C++17)(C++17) | determines file attributes determines file attributes, checking the symlink target (function) [edit]
temp_directory_path (C++17) | returns a directory suitable for temporary files (function) [edit]
##### File types
is_block_file (C++17) | checks whether the given path refers to block device (function) [edit]
is_character_file (C++17) | checks whether the given path refers to a character device (function) [edit]
is_directory (C++17) | checks whether the given path refers to a directory (function) [edit]
is_empty (C++17) | checks whether the given path refers to an empty file or directory (function) [edit]
is_fifo (C++17) | checks whether the given path refers to a named pipe (function) [edit]
is_other (C++17) | checks whether the argument refers to an other file (function) [edit]
is_regular_file (C++17) | checks whether the argument refers to a regular file (function) [edit]
is_socket (C++17) | checks whether the argument refers to a named IPC socket (function) [edit]
is_symlink (C++17) | checks whether the argument refers to a symbolic link (function) [edit]
status_known (C++17) | checks whether file status is known (function) [edit]

### [edit] Synopsis

    namespace std::filesystem {
      // paths
      class path;
      // path non-member functions
      void swap(path& lhs, path& rhs) noexcept;
      size_t hash_value(const path& p) noexcept;
      bool operator==(const path& lhs, const path& rhs) noexcept;
      bool operator!=(const path& lhs, const path& rhs) noexcept;
      bool operator< (const path& lhs, const path& rhs) noexcept;
      bool operator<=(const path& lhs, const path& rhs) noexcept;
      bool operator> (const path& lhs, const path& rhs) noexcept;
      bool operator>=(const path& lhs, const path& rhs) noexcept;
      path operator/ (const path& lhs, const path& rhs);
      // path inserter and extractor
      template <class charT, class traits>
      basic_ostream<charT, traits>&
        operator<<(basic_ostream<charT, traits>& os, const path& p);
      template <class charT, class traits>
      basic_istream<charT, traits>&
        operator>>(basic_istream<charT, traits>& is, path& p);
      // path factory functions
      template <class Source>
      path u8path(const Source& source);
      template <class InputIterator>
      path u8path(InputIterator first, InputIterator last);
      // filesystem errors
      class filesystem_error;
      // directory entries
      class directory_entry;
      // directory iterators
      class directory_iterator;
      // range access for directory iterators
      directory_iterator begin(directory_iterator iter) noexcept;
      directory_iterator end(const directory_iterator&) noexcept;
      // recursive directory iterators
      class recursive_directory_iterator;
      // range access for recursive directory iterators
      recursive_directory_iterator begin(recursive_directory_iterator iter) noexcept;
      recursive_directory_iterator end(const recursive_directory_iterator&) noexcept;
      // file status
      class file_status;
      struct space_info {
        uintmax_t capacity;
        uintmax_t free;
        uintmax_t available;
      };
      // enumerations
      enum class file_type;
      enum class perms;
      enum class copy_options;
      enum class directory_options;
      using file_time_type = chrono::time_point<trivial-clock >;
      // filesystem operations
      path absolute(const path& p, const path& base = current_path());
      path canonical(const path& p, const path& base = current_path());
      path canonical(const path& p, error_code& ec);
      path canonical(const path& p, const path& base, error_code& ec);
      void copy(const path& from, const path& to);
      void copy(const path& from, const path& to, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      void copy(const path& from, const path& to, copy_options options);
      void copy(const path& from, const path& to, copy_options options,
                error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool copy_file(const path& from, const path& to);
      bool copy_file(const path& from, const path& to, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool copy_file(const path& from, const path& to, copy_options option);
      bool copy_file(const path& from, const path& to, copy_options option,
                     error_code& ec) noexcept;
      void copy_symlink(const path& existing_symlink, const path& new_symlink);
      void copy_symlink(const path& existing_symlink, const path& new_symlink,
                        error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool create_directories(const path& p);
      bool create_directories(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool create_directory(const path& p);
      bool create_directory(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool create_directory(const path& p, const path& attributes);
      bool create_directory(const path& p, const path& attributes,
                            error_code& ec) noexcept;
      void create_directory_symlink(const path& to, const path& new_symlink);
      void create_directory_symlink(const path& to, const path& new_symlink,
                                    error_code& ec) noexcept;
      void create_hard_link(const path& to, const path& new_hard_link);
      void create_hard_link(const path& to, const path& new_hard_link,
                            error_code& ec) noexcept;
      void create_symlink(const path& to, const path& new_symlink);
      void create_symlink(const path& to, const path& new_symlink,
                          error_code& ec) noexcept;
      path current_path();
      path current_path(error_code& ec);
      void current_path(const path& p);
      void current_path(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool exists(file_status s) noexcept;
      bool exists(const path& p);
      bool exists(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool equivalent(const path& p1, const path& p2);
      bool equivalent(const path& p1, const path& p2, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      uintmax_t file_size(const path& p);
      uintmax_t file_size(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      uintmax_t hard_link_count(const path& p);
      uintmax_t hard_link_count(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool is_block_file(file_status s) noexcept;
      bool is_block_file(const path& p);
      bool is_block_file(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool is_character_file(file_status s) noexcept;
      bool is_character_file(const path& p);
      bool is_character_file(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool is_directory(file_status s) noexcept;
      bool is_directory(const path& p);
      bool is_directory(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool is_empty(const path& p);
      bool is_empty(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool is_fifo(file_status s) noexcept;
      bool is_fifo(const path& p);
      bool is_fifo(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool is_other(file_status s) noexcept;
      bool is_other(const path& p);
      bool is_other(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool is_regular_file(file_status s) noexcept;
      bool is_regular_file(const path& p);
      bool is_regular_file(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool is_socket(file_status s) noexcept;
      bool is_socket(const path& p);
      bool is_socket(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool is_symlink(file_status s) noexcept;
      bool is_symlink(const path& p);
      bool is_symlink(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      file_time_type last_write_time(const path& p);
      file_time_type last_write_time(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      void last_write_time(const path& p, file_time_type new_time);
      void last_write_time(const path& p, file_time_type new_time,
                           error_code& ec) noexcept;
      void permissions(const path& p, perms prms);
      void permissions(const path& p, perms prms, error_code& ec);
      path proximate(const path& p, error_code& ec);
      path proximate(const path& p, const path& base = current_path());
      path proximate(const path& p, const path& base, error_code& ec);
      path read_symlink(const path& p);
      path read_symlink(const path& p, error_code& ec);
      path relative(const path& p, error_code& ec);
      path relative(const path& p, const path& base = current_path());
      path relative(const path& p, const path& base, error_code& ec);
      bool remove(const path& p);
      bool remove(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      uintmax_t remove_all(const path& p);
      uintmax_t remove_all(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      void rename(const path& from, const path& to);
      void rename(const path& from, const path& to, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      void resize_file(const path& p, uintmax_t size);
      void resize_file(const path& p, uintmax_t size, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      space_info space(const path& p);
      space_info space(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      file_status status(const path& p);
      file_status status(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      bool status_known(file_status s) noexcept;
      file_status symlink_status(const path& p);
      file_status symlink_status(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      path system_complete(const path& p);
      path system_complete(const path& p, error_code& ec);
      path temp_directory_path();
      path temp_directory_path(error_code& ec);
      path weakly_canonical(const path& p);
      path weakly_canonical(const path& p, error_code& ec);
    }

#### [edit] Class std::filesystem::path

    class path {
    public:
      using value_type = /*see definition*/ ;
      using string_type = basic_string<value_type>;
      static constexpr value_type preferred_separator = /*see definition*/ ;
      // constructors and destructor
      path() noexcept;
      path(const path& p);
      path(path&& p) noexcept;
      path(string_type&& source);
      template <class Source>
      path(const Source& source);
      template <class InputIterator>
      path(InputIterator first, InputIterator last);
      template <class Source>
      path(const Source& source, const locale& loc);
      template <class InputIterator>
      path(InputIterator first, InputIterator last, const locale& loc);
      ~path();
      // assignments
      path& operator=(const path& p);
      path& operator=(path&& p) noexcept;
      path& operator=(string_type&& source);
      path& assign(string_type&& source);
      template <class Source>
      path& operator=(const Source& source);
      template <class Source>
      path& assign(const Source& source)
      template <class InputIterator>
      path& assign(InputIterator first, InputIterator last);
      // appends
      path& operator/=(const path& p);
      template <class Source>
      path& operator/=(const Source& source);
      template <class Source>
      path& append(const Source& source);
      template <class InputIterator>
      path& append(InputIterator first, InputIterator last);
      // concatenation
      path& operator+=(const path& x);
      path& operator+=(const string_type& x);
      path& operator+=(basic_string_view<value_type> x);
      path& operator+=(const value_type* x);
      path& operator+=(value_type x);
      template <class Source>
      path& operator+=(const Source& x);
      template <class EcharT>
      path& operator+=(EcharT x);
      template <class Source>
      path& concat(const Source& x);
      template <class InputIterator>
      path& concat(InputIterator first, InputIterator last);
      // modifiers
      void clear() noexcept;
      path& make_preferred();
      path& remove_filename();
      path& replace_filename(const path& replacement);
      path& replace_extension(const path& replacement = path());
      void swap(path& rhs) noexcept;
      // native format observers
      const string_type& native() const noexcept;
      const value_type* c_str() const noexcept;
      operator string_type() const;
      template <class EcharT, class traits = char_traits<EcharT>,
                class Allocator = allocator<EcharT>>
      basic_string<EcharT, traits, Allocator>
        string(const Allocator& a = Allocator()) const;
      std::string string() const;
      std::wstring wstring() const;
      std::string u8string() const;
      std::u16string u16string() const;
      std::u32string u32string() const;
      // generic format observers
      template <class EcharT, class traits = char_traits<EcharT>,
                class Allocator = allocator<EcharT>>
      basic_string<EcharT, traits, Allocator>
        generic_string(const Allocator& a = Allocator()) const;
      std::string generic_string() const;
      std::wstring generic_wstring() const;
      std::string generic_u8string() const;
      std::u16string generic_u16string() const;
      std::u32string generic_u32string() const;
      // compare
      int compare(const path& p) const noexcept;
      int compare(const string_type& s) const;
      int compare(basic_string_view<value_type> s) const;
      int compare(const value_type* s) const;
      // decomposition
      path root_name() const;
      path root_directory() const;
      path root_path() const;
      path relative_path() const;
      path parent_path() const;
      path filename() const;
      path stem() const;
      path extension() const;
      // query
      bool empty() const noexcept;
      bool has_root_name() const;
      bool has_root_directory() const;
      bool has_root_path() const;
      bool has_relative_path() const;
      bool has_parent_path() const;
      bool has_filename() const;
      bool has_stem() const;
      bool has_extension() const;
      bool is_absolute() const;
      bool is_relative() const;
      // generation
      path lexically_normal() const;
      path lexically_relative(const path& base) const;
      path lexically_proximate(const path& base) const;
      // iterators
      class iterator;
      using const_iterator = iterator;
      iterator begin() const;
      iterator end() const;
    private:
      string_type pathstring; // exposition only
    };

#### [edit] Class std::filesystem::filesystem_error

    class filesystem_error : public system_error {
    public:
      filesystem_error(const string& what_arg, error_code ec);
      filesystem_error(const string& what_arg,
                       const path& p1, error_code ec);
      filesystem_error(const string& what_arg,
                       const path& p1, const path& p2, error_code ec);
      const path& path1() const noexcept;
      const path& path2() const noexcept;
      const char* what() const noexcept override;
    };

#### [edit] Class std::filesystem::file_status

    class file_status {
    public:
      // constructors and destructor
      explicit file_status(file_type ft = file_type::none,
                           perms prms = perms::unknown) noexcept;
      file_status(const file_status&) noexcept = default;
      file_status(file_status&&) noexcept = default;
      ~file_status();
      // assignments:
      file_status& operator=(const file_status&) noexcept = default;
      file_status& operator=(file_status&&) noexcept = default;
      // modifiers
      void type(file_type ft) noexcept;
      void permissions(perms prms) noexcept;
      // observers
      file_type type() const noexcept;
      perms permissions() const noexcept;
    };

#### [edit] Class std::directory_entry

    class directory_entry {
    public:
      // constructors and destructor
      explicit directory_entry(const path& p);
      directory_entry() noexcept = default;
      directory_entry(const directory_entry&) = default;
      directory_entry(directory_entry&&) noexcept = default;
      ~directory_entry();
      // assignments:
      directory_entry& operator=(const directory_entry&) = default;
      directory_entry& operator=(directory_entry&&) noexcept = default;
      // modifiers
      void assign(const path& p);
      void replace_filename(const path& p);
      // observers
      const path& path() const noexcept;
      operator const path&() const noexcept;
      file_status status() const;
      file_status status(error_code& ec) const noexcept;
      file_status symlink_status() const;
      file_status symlink_status(error_code& ec) const noexcept;
      bool operator< (const directory_entry& rhs) const noexcept;
      bool operator==(const directory_entry& rhs) const noexcept;
      bool operator!=(const directory_entry& rhs) const noexcept;
      bool operator<=(const directory_entry& rhs) const noexcept;
      bool operator> (const directory_entry& rhs) const noexcept;
      bool operator>=(const directory_entry& rhs) const noexcept;
    private:
      path pathobject; // exposition only
    };

#### [edit] Class std::filesystem::directory_iterator

    class directory_iterator {
    public:
      using iterator_category = input_iterator_tag;
      using value_type = directory_entry;
      using difference_type = ptrdiff_t;
      using pointer = const directory_entry*;
      using reference = const directory_entry&;
      // member functions
      directory_iterator() noexcept;
      explicit directory_iterator(const path& p);
      directory_iterator(const path& p, directory_options options);
      directory_iterator(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      directory_iterator(const path& p, directory_options options,
                         error_code& ec) noexcept;
      directory_iterator(const directory_iterator& rhs);
      directory_iterator(directory_iterator&& rhs) noexcept;
      ~directory_iterator();
      directory_iterator& operator=(const directory_iterator& rhs);
      directory_iterator& operator=(directory_iterator&& rhs) noexcept;
      const directory_entry& operator*() const;
      const directory_entry* operator->() const;
      directory_iterator& operator++();
      directory_iterator& increment(error_code& ec) noexcept;
      // other members as required by input iterators
    };

#### [edit] Class std::filesystem::recursive_directory_iterator

    class recursive_directory_iterator {
    public:
      using iterator_category = input_iterator_tag;
      using value_type = directory_entry;
      using difference_type = ptrdiff_t;
      using pointer = const directory_entry*;
      using reference = const directory_entry&;
      // constructors and destructor
      recursive_directory_iterator() noexcept;
      explicit recursive_directory_iterator(const path& p);
      recursive_directory_iterator(const path& p, directory_options options);
      recursive_directory_iterator(const path& p, directory_options options,
                                   error_code& ec) noexcept;
      recursive_directory_iterator(const path& p, error_code& ec) noexcept;
      recursive_directory_iterator(const recursive_directory_iterator& rhs);
      recursive_directory_iterator(recursive_directory_iterator&& rhs) noexcept;
      ~recursive_directory_iterator();
      // observers
      directory_options options() const;
      int depth() const;
      bool recursion_pending() const;
      const directory_entry& operator*() const;
      const directory_entry* operator->() const;
      // modifiers
      recursive_directory_iterator&
      operator=(const recursive_directory_iterator& rhs);
      recursive_directory_iterator&
      operator=(recursive_directory_iterator&& rhs) noexcept;
      recursive_directory_iterator& operator++();
      recursive_directory_iterator& increment(error_code& ec) noexcept;
      void pop();
      void pop(error_code& ec);
      void disable_recursion_pending();
      // other members as required by input iterators
    };

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