Thread: renaming/deleting file

Hi again, I now have a problem where I rename a file, and delete another one, and neither one of the actions are actually happening.

It looks like this:

static File rfile = new File(dir + "points.txt");
File rfile4 = new File(dir + "temp.txt");
rfile4.renameTo(rfile);
		          System.out.println(rfile4);
		          rfile.delete();

I have nothing happening after this, yet when I go to check if anything happened, both files are still there, and neither have been renamed. To prove it, the data that I entered into rflie4 before renaming it is still there (and the file is called "temp"). The System.out.println statement returns "C:\Users\John\workspace\Various classes\temp.txt" when it should return "C:\Users\John\workspace\Various classes\points.txt."

renameTo(File dest) returns a boolean that indicates whether the rename operation was successful or not. I would recommend checking this return value to determine what behavior you should expect.

From the javadoc:

Many aspects of the behavior of this method are inherently platform-dependent: The rename operation might not be able to move a file from one filesystem to another, it might not be atomic, and it might not succeed if a file with the destination abstract pathname already exists. The return value should always be checked to make sure that the rename operation was successful.

Originally Posted by DavidFongs

renameTo(File dest) returns a boolean that indicates whether the rename operation was successful or not. I would recommend checking this return value to determine what behavior you should expect.

From the javadoc:

Ok, so I checked the return value and saw that they both came up as false. But now is there a way I could make it work? Does renameTo() just not work if there's always a file by that name?

Originally Posted by JavaHater

how did you define dir variable? try also to remove the "static" keyword.

dir is basically where the program is running from. I can't remove the static because I was taking these lines somewhat out of context, there is a reason I need the static there.

Given DavidFong's post above noting the platform dependence of this function and the behavior you noted, there is always the ugly option of doing it the brute-force way (open and read the file, create/write a new file with the new name and write the contents, finally deleting the old file).

From your original post, its obvious you are using Windows to do this. On a windows system, what you are trying to do will fail if a file already exists with the name you want to rename the temp file to. The operation will also fail if the source file that you are trying to rename doesn't exist (but that isn't your issue here).

Since you are renaming rfile4 to rfile (effectively overwriting rfile) why not just call rfile.delete() before the rename call

Originally Posted by DavidFongs

From your original post, its obvious you are using Windows to do this. On a windows system, what you are trying to do will fail if a file already exists with the name you want to rename the temp file to. The operation will also fail if the source file that you are trying to rename doesn't exist (but that isn't your issue here).

Since you are renaming rfile4 to rfile (effectively overwriting rfile) why not just call rfile.delete() before the rename call

I tried what you suggested but it still came up as false and nothing happened It guess the only way this will work is doing what copeg suggested?

Originally Posted by helloworld922

1. What OS are you running under? With Windows Vista/7, certain areas require elevated privileges in order to modify (such as the Program Files folder).
2. Do the original file and the new file both exist according to Java? Check using rfile4.exists() and rfile.exists().

1. Windows Vista. I seriously doubt I would need elevated privileges in order to delete these text files. I've tried deleting them manually and it works.

2. Yes, I checked using the way you suggested.

Originally Posted by helloworld922

Hmm... I'm not entirely sure what's going on. Perhaps it's an issue with your installed software? What version of the JDK and JRE do you have? The latest JDK/JRE is Java SE 6 update 23.

I have Java SE 6 Update 21. I guess I'll update it to 23 but I doubt that's the problem...

This might also be a long shot, but why is one of your File objects static and the other isn't?