<filesystem>

Article
08/19/2012

Include the header <filesystem> to define classes and functions for the manipulation of files and directories.

#include <filesystem>

Warning

The <filesystem> header is not a C++ standard, although it is being proposed for standardization. If it is adopted as a standard, we will investigate the impact on the interface.

Typedefs

Name	Description
path	basic_path<string, path_traits>
wpath	basic_path<wstring, wpath_traits>
filesystem_error	basic_filesystem_error<path>
wfilesystem_error	basic_filesystem_error<wpath>
directory_entry	basic_directory_entry<path>
wdirectory_entry	basic_directory_entry<wpath>
directory_iterator	basic_directory_iterator<path>
wdirectory_iterator	basic_directory_iterator<wpath>
recursive_directory_iterator	basic_recursive_directory_iterator<path>
wrecursive_directory_iterator	basic_recursive_directory_iterator<wpath>

Classes

Name	Description
basic_directory_entry Class	Describes an object that is returned by *X, where X is a basic_directory_iterator or a basic_recursive_directory_iterator.
basic_directory_iterator Class	Describes an input iterator that sequences through the file names in a file-system directory.
basic_filesystem_error Class	A base class for exceptions that are thrown to report a low-level system overflow.
basic_path Class	Defines a class that stores an object of template type String that is suitable for use as a file name.
basic_recursive_directory_iterator Class	Describes an input iterator that sequences through the file names in a file-system directory. The iterator can also descend into subdirectories.
file_status Class	Wraps a file_type.

Structs

Name	Description
colon Structure	Defines a struct that has a static data member that represents a colon character.
dot Structure	Defines a struct that has a static data member that represents a dot character.
is_basic_path Structure	Specifies whether a type is suitable for use as a Path parameter for other templates that are defined in the <filesystem> header.
path_traits Structure	Describes properties for the specialization basic_path<string, path_traits>.
slash Structure	Defines a struct that has a static data member that represents a slash character.
space_info Structure	Holds information about a volume.
wpath_traits Structure	Describes properties for the specialization basic_path<wstring, wpath_traits>.

Functions

Name	Description
basename Function	Returns the stem of a specified path.
complete Function	Creates a full path from specified Path values, if possible.
copy_file Function	Copies the attributes and contents in one file and pastes them in another.
create_directories Function	Creates a directory from a specified file name. Also creates intermediate directories as required.
create_directory Function	Creates a directory from a specified file name.
create_hard_link Function	Creates a hard link to an existing file.
create_symlink Function	Creates a symbolic link to an existing file.
current_path Function	Sets or retrieves the current working directory.
equivalent Function	Specifies whether two file names reference the same file.
exists Function	Specifies whether a file exists.
extension Function	Retrieves the file name extension of a specified file.
file_size Function	Returns the size, in bytes, of a file that has a specified name.
initial_path Function	Returns the current working directory at program startup.
is_directory Function	Indicates whether the specified file_status or file name represents a directory.
is_empty Function	Indicates whether a specified path refers to an empty file or directory.
is_other Function	Indicates whether the specified file_status or file name represents an existing file that is not a file, a directory, or a symbolic link.
is_regular Function	Indicates whether the specified file_status or file name represents a file.
is_regular_file Function	Indicates whether the specified file_status or file name represents a file.
is_symlink Function	Indicates whether the specified file_status or file name represents a symbolic link.
last_write_time Function	Determines the last write time for a specified file.
remove Function	Removes a file that has the specified path.
remove_all Function	Removes a file or directory that has the specified path.
remove_directory Function	Removes a directory that has the specified path.
remove_filename Function	Removes a file that has the specified path.
rename Function	Renames an existing file.
replace_extension Function	Replaces the file name extension of the specified file.
space Function	Retrieves information about a specified volume.
status Function	Retrieves the status of the specified file.
status_known Function	Specifies whether a given file status is known.
stem Function	Returns the stem of the specified path.
swap Function (STL)	Exchanges the stored file names of two basic_path objects.
symlink_status Function	Retrieves the symbolic link status of a specified file.
system_complete Function	Converts a given file name to a complete file name, if possible.

Operators

Name	Description
operator!= (STL)	Inequality operator that is used with basic_path, basic_directory_iterator, and basic_recursive_directory_iterator objects.
operator== (STL)	Equality operator that is used with basic_path, basic_directory_iterator, and basic_recursive_directory_iterator objects.
operator<< Operator	Writes the stored path of the specified object to a stream.
operator< (STL)	Indicates whether the stored string value of one basic_path object is less than that of another basic_path object.
operator<= (STL)	Indicates whether the stored string value of one basic_path object is less than or equal to that of another basic_path object.
operator>> Operator	Extracts a string from a basic_istream and assigns it to a Path object.
operator> (STL)	Indicates whether the stored string value of one basic_path object is greater than that of another basic_path object.
operator>= (STL)	Indicates whether the stored string value of one basic_path object is greater than or equal to that of another basic_path object.
operator/ (STL)	Concatenates the stored file names of two basic_path objects.

Enumerations

Name	Description
copy_option Enumeration	An enumeration that is used with copy_file and determines behavior if a destination file already exists.
file_type Enumeration	An enumeration for file types.

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