---
title: "movePath:toPath:handler:"
framework: foundation
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Method
path: "foundation/nsfilemanager/movepath:topath:handler:"
---

# movePath:toPath:handler:

Moves the directory or file specified by a given path to a different location in the file system identified by another path.

## Declaration

```occ
- (BOOL) movePath:(NSString *) src toPath:(NSString *) dest handler:(id) handler;
```

## Parameters

- `src`: The path of a file or directory to move. source must exist.
- `dest`: The path to which source is moved. destination must not yet exist. The destination path must end in a filename; there is no implicit adoption of the source filename.
- `handler`: An object that responds to the callback messages doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObject-swift.class/fileManager(_:willProcessPath:) and doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObject-swift.class/fileManager(_:shouldProceedAfterError:). You can specify nil for handler; if you do so and an error occurs, the method automatically returns doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/Swift/false.

## Return Value

Return Value true if the move operation is successful. If the operation is not successful, but the handler method fileManager(_:shouldProceedAfterError:) returns true, movePath:toPath:handler: also returns true; otherwise returns false.

## Discussion

Discussion If source is a file, the method creates a file at destination that holds the exact contents of the original file and then deletes the original file. If source is a directory, movePath:toPath:handler: creates a new directory at destination and recursively populates it with duplicates of the files and directories contained in source. It then deletes the old directory and its contents.  Symbolic links are not traversed, however links are preserved. File or directory attributes—that is, metadata such as owner and group numbers, file permissions, and modification date—are also moved. The handler callback mechanism is similar to delegation. NSFileManager sends fileManager(_:willProcessPath:) when it begins a copy, move, remove, or link operation. It sends fileManager(_:shouldProceedAfterError:) when it encounters any error in processing. If a failure in a move operation occurs, either the preexisting path or the new path remains intact, but not both. Special Considerations Because this method does not return error information, it has been deprecated as of OS X v10.5. Use moveItem(at:to:) instead.

## See Also

### Related Documentation

- [linkItem(at:to:)](foundation/filemanager/linkitem(at:to:).md)
- [moveItem(atPath:toPath:)](foundation/filemanager/moveitem(atpath:topath:).md)
- [copyItem(atPath:toPath:)](foundation/filemanager/copyitem(atpath:topath:).md)
- [removeItem(atPath:)](foundation/filemanager/removeitem(atpath:).md)

### Deprecated Methods

- [copyPath:toPath:handler:](foundation/nsfilemanager/copypath:topath:handler:.md)
- [removeFileAtPath:handler:](foundation/nsfilemanager/removefileatpath:handler:.md)
- [changeFileAttributes(_:atPath:)](foundation/filemanager/changefileattributes(_:atpath:).md)
- [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)
- [linkPath:toPath:handler:](foundation/nsfilemanager/linkpath:topath:handler:.md)
- [fileManager(_:shouldProceedAfterError:)](objectivec/nsobject-swift.class/filemanager(_:shouldproceedaftererror:).md)
- [fileManager(_:willProcessPath:)](objectivec/nsobject-swift.class/filemanager(_:willprocesspath:).md)