How do I rename (not move) a file in Java 7?

Question

I'm a bit confused with all these new File I/O classes in JDK7.

Let's say, I have a Path and want to rename the file it represents. How do I specify the new name, when again a Path is expected?

Path p = /* path to /home/me/file123 */; Path name = p.getName(); /* gives me file123 */ name.moveTo(/* what now? */); /* how to rename file123 to file456? */ 

NOTE: Why do I need JDK7? Handling of symbolic links!

Problem is: I have to do it with files whose names and locations are known at runtime. So, what I need, is a safe method (without exceptional side-effects) to create a new name-Path of some old name-Path.

Path newName(Path oldName, String newNameString){     /* magic */  } 

Answer 1

In JDK7, Files.move() provides a short and concise syntax for renaming files:

Path newName(Path oldName, String newNameString) {     return Files.move(oldName, oldName.resolveSibling(newNameString)); } 

First we're getting the Path to the new file name using Path.resolveSibling() and the we use Files.move() to do the actual renaming.

Answer 2

You have a path string and you need to create a Path instance. You can do this with the getPath method or resolve. Here's one way:

Path dir = oldFile.getParent();         Path fn = oldFile.getFileSystem().getPath(newNameString); Path target = (dir == null) ? fn : dir.resolve(fn);         oldFile.moveTo(target);  

Note that it checks if parent is null (looks like your solution don't do that).