---
title: "getRelationship(_:ofDirectoryAt:toItemAt:)"
framework: foundation
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "foundation/filemanager/getrelationship(_:ofdirectoryat:toitemat:)"
---

# getRelationship(_:ofDirectoryAt:toItemAt:)

Determines the type of relationship that exists between a directory and an item.

## Declaration

```swift
func getRelationship(_ outRelationship: UnsafeMutablePointer<FileManager.URLRelationship>, ofDirectoryAt directoryURL: URL, toItemAt otherURL: URL) throws
```

## Parameters

- `outRelationship`: A pointer to a variable in which to put the relationship between directoryURL and otherURL. For a list of possible values, see doc://com.apple.foundation/documentation/Foundation/FileManager/URLRelationship.
- `directoryURL`: The URL of the directory that potentially contains the item in otherURL. The URL in this parameter must specify a directory. This parameter must not be nil.
- `otherURL`: The URL of the file or directory whose relationship to directoryURL is being tested. This parameter must not be nil.

## Discussion

Discussion Use this method to determine the relationship between an item and a directory whose location you already know. If the relationship between the items is determined successfully, this method sets the value of the outRelationship parameter to an appropriate value. The directory may contain the item, it may be the same as the item, or it may not have a direct relationship to the item. note: In Swift, this method returns Void and is marked with the throws keyword to indicate that it throws an error in cases of failure. You call this method in a try expression and handle any errors in the catch clauses of a do statement, as described in Error Handling in The Swift Programming Language and About Imported Cocoa Error Parameters.

## See Also

### Getting the relationship between items

- [getRelationship(_:of:in:toItemAt:)](foundation/filemanager/getrelationship(_:of:in:toitemat:).md)
- [FileManager.URLRelationship](foundation/filemanager/urlrelationship.md)