---
title: "changeFileAttributes(_:atPath:)"
framework: foundation
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "foundation/filemanager/changefileattributes(_:atpath:)"
---

# changeFileAttributes(_:atPath:)

Changes the attributes of a given file or directory.

## Declaration

```swift
func changeFileAttributes(_ attributes: [AnyHashable : Any] = [:], atPath path: String) -> Bool
```

## Parameters

- `attributes`: A dictionary containing as keys the attributes to set for path and as values the corresponding value for the attribute. You can set following: NSFileBusy, NSFileCreationDate, NSFileExtensionHidden, NSFileGroupOwnerAccountID, NSFileGroupOwnerAccountName, NSFileHFSCreatorCode, NSFileHFSTypeCode, NSFileImmutable, NSFileModificationDate, NSFileOwnerAccountID, NSFileOwnerAccountName, NSFilePosixPermissions. You can change single attributes or any combination of attributes; you need not specify keys for all attributes. For the NSFilePosixPermissions value, specify a file mode from the OR’d permission bit masks defined in sys/stat.h. See the man page for the chmod function (man 2 chmod) for an explanation.
- `path`: A path to a file or directory.

## Return Value

Return Value true if all changes succeed. If any change fails, returns false, but it is undefined whether any changes actually occurred.

## Discussion

Discussion As in the POSIX standard, the app either must own the file or directory or must be running as superuser for attribute changes to take effect. The method attempts to make all changes specified in attributes and ignores any rejection of an attempted modification. The NSFilePosixPermissions value must be initialized with the code representing the POSIX file-permissions bit pattern. NSFileHFSCreatorCode and NSFileHFSTypeCode will only be heeded when path specifies a file. Special Considerations Because this method does not return error information, it has been deprecated as of OS X v10.5. Use setAttributes(_:ofItemAtPath:) instead.

## See Also

### Related Documentation

- [attributesOfItem(atPath:)](foundation/filemanager/attributesofitem(atpath:).md)
- [setAttributes(_:ofItemAtPath:)](foundation/filemanager/setattributes(_:ofitematpath:).md)

### Deprecated Methods

- [fileAttributes(atPath:traverseLink:)](foundation/filemanager/fileattributes(atpath:traverselink:).md)
- [fileSystemAttributes(atPath:)](foundation/filemanager/filesystemattributes(atpath:).md)
- [directoryContents(atPath:)](foundation/filemanager/directorycontents(atpath:).md)
- [createDirectory(atPath:attributes:)](foundation/filemanager/createdirectory(atpath:attributes:).md)
- [createSymbolicLink(atPath:pathContent:)](foundation/filemanager/createsymboliclink(atpath:pathcontent:).md)
- [pathContentOfSymbolicLink(atPath:)](foundation/filemanager/pathcontentofsymboliclink(atpath:).md)
- [fileManager(_:shouldProceedAfterError:)](objectivec/nsobject-swift.class/filemanager(_:shouldproceedaftererror:).md)
- [fileManager(_:willProcessPath:)](objectivec/nsobject-swift.class/filemanager(_:willprocesspath:).md)
- [replaceItemAtURL(originalItemURL:withItemAtURL:backupItemName:options:)](foundation/filemanager/replaceitematurl(originalitemurl:withitematurl:backupitemname:options:).md)